


A Knight Affair

by Rohad



Series: A Knight Affair [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Blood, Death, F/F, Fanatsy, Knight!Yellow, Princess!Blue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2020-12-20 23:10:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 45,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21064748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rohad/pseuds/Rohad
Summary: The Knight/Princess AU that no one asked for.some graphic violence and fighting in later scenes.





	1. Homecoming

“I heard the Knight captain returned just this morning.” 

Princess Azurine ”Blue” Diamond nearly tripped on the long cobalt dress she was wearing as her head whipped around to look at the back of the two servnts that had just passed her by. 

The knight captain had been gone for three months now, leading the fighting at the front, where the outlying provinces of the once expanding empire had been in rebellion for nearly a year now.

The news from the front she had been privy to was few and far between, but she knew things seemed to be in a standstill. Every day the kingdoms forces pushed back the rebels and the next the rebels would push back with renewed vigor. 

Once the servants were out of sight Blue gathered up her skirts and ran back to her quarters as quickly as she could. 

She had to freshen up before supper, when her mother would take audience with the captain. 

~

As she predicted, her mother did see the knight captain at dinner. 

The leftover food and dishes had already been cleared away when her mother turned to her sister, sitting across from her.

“Rosaline, you may be excused.” Queen Winea Diamond waved a hand at her youngest. 

“What about Azurine?” the fourteen year old princess pouted, looking at the twenty-three old heir-apparent. 

“Your sister and I must receive the knight captain.”

Rosaline opened her mouth to argue further but a pointed look from the queen made her jaw snap shut in an instant. She stood from her chair and gave the older two woman a curtsy before near stomping out of the room. 

Blue huffed, swallowing the laugh that threatened to bubble up at her sisters retreating back. 

Not a minute after the youngest royals departure did the dining rooms doors open and Knight Captain Aurelia Stone; Yellow, to those closest to her strutted through, goldenrod armor polished to a high shine, reflecting every flicker of light in the room. Her tall and sturdy frame always commanded attention when she entered a room. 

She stopped before the queen and pulled off her helmet revealing cropped blonde hair and tired honey colored eyes. Holding her helmet under her left arm she dipped into a deep bow at the waist, right arm crossed across her chest.

“Your Majesty.” She looked at the queen before her gaze slid to Blue. “Your Highness.” 

“Captain Stone, how good it is to have you back with us, tell me how things have fared in quelling the uprising.” The queens saccharine voice filled the cavernous dining room. 

“We pushed them back beyond the border, retaking Fort Luna and capturing several of their band leaders. They’ve been taken to the dungeons to be interrogated. ” She gave her report.

“Excellent.” The queen smiled, steepling her fingers in front of her face. Her distant gaze seemed to be over the captain's head. “Captain, take the next three days leave, after which I shall assign your new duties.” Without waiting for an answer she stood from her seat, prompting Blue to stand, curtsying and the knight to dip into another bow as she left without another word or look at either of them. 

Once her mother had gone Blue turned to the knight captain only to find she was already being watched right back and their eyes locked. Blue glanced at the servants milling about before turning her attention back to the awaiting knight as she pulled her helmet back over her head. 

“Captain, would you walk with me? There are some matters I’d like to discuss.” She stepped around the table.”

“Of course.” Yellow’s face remained stern as they left the dining room. 

They passed a few servants as they walked up the winding staircase to the third floor where both princess’ rooms were. 

Once they were standing in front of her door Blue glanced around making sure the seemingly empty hallway truly was so before opening the door and snatching the knights hand, yanking her inside. 

Once the door had shut, Blue wasted no time wrapping her arms around the knights steel covered frame and pressed her painted lips over the knights mouth. 

Yellow wrapped the princess up in her arms, returning the tight embrace. 

“Seems I’ve been missed.” Yellow grinned once Blue saw fit to release her liplock. 

“Of course I missed you.” She huffed burying her face into the knights neck, despite its armored layer. “I was worried.” She mumbled against the warm metal. 

Yellow could only smile and press a kiss to a smooth cheek as she held the princess close, burying her face in her long silvery locks. 

Much too soon for Blue’s liking Yellow was pulling away. 

“I need to go…” She started

“I haven’t seen you in so long… stay…” Blue ‘s honeyed words gave the knight pause as she was tugged toward the bed. How badly she wanted too… 

“I can’t” Yellow frowned, glancing over her shoulder at the closed door, as though it may open at any moment and the queen herself might burst through the door and catch them in an embrace. 

Gentle hands reached up and carefully removed the pointed helmet from her head revealing the cropped sandy blonde hair beneath. 

“You were relieved of duty for the next three days. No one is expecting you.” Blue argued.

That doesn’t mean they won’t come looking anyway.” She said, reaching for her helmet only for the royal to pull it out of reach. 

“Just for a little while…” Blue pleaded, setting the helmet on the ornate wooden mantle beside her bed before reaching up to run her fingers through the stiff blonde hairs. 

Yellow made a sound in her throat as long, soft fingers carded through her hair, her will falling like sand through her fingers. 

“Blue…” The affectionate nickname came out low and husky, making her shudder. Calloused fingers wrapped around her wrist, pulling it away from her head. Before Blue could make a sound of protest the same hand trapped in Yellows grip was pulled to her lips where she laid a heavy kiss to her palm. 

“I missed you as well.” The stern captain finally mumbled between presses of her lips to Blues skin.

“Show me…” She murmured, pulling them back to her bed. The reluctance had all but vanished from Yellow’s face as she followed. Blue tugged at the armor straps, slowly peeling away the metal layers until a slightly smaller but still sturdy woman stood in front of her in light cotton undershirt and pants. 

She pressed her lips to the now exposed neck, eliciting a deep gurgling sound from her companion. Blue smiled to herself as she ran her hands up a solid muscled back and equally hard shoulders and arms. Years of traversing battlefields in full armor and swinging a sword had made the knight captain as solid as her name implied. 

“Blue…” Yellow breathed in her ear. 

Blue just hummed as she walked her back till the backs of her knees hit the bed, sending her sprawling onto her back. Yellow looked up at her, pupils blown wide as Blue reached for the ties of her dress. 

“Now, I’ll show you…” 

“BLUE!” fists pounded on the door making both women jump. 

“Rosaline…”Blue said to herself as the door swung open and Blue was certain her heart had stopped as her sister burst into the room.

“Blue, did you see the captain?” She asked, looking up at her. Blue blinked before turning back to the bed only to find it empty.

_‘What…?’_

“Blue!” Rosaline was suddenly in front of her. 

“I...yes, I met with the Captain.” She mumbled, eyes darting around the room.

“Tell me?” She looked up pleadingly. 

“Rosaline…” She started. “The hour is late and I’m not feeling well…” The younger started to protest but Blue held up a hand. “...I will tell you all about it in the morning.” 

The younger Princess pursed her lips.

“You swear?” She finally asked. Blue couldn’t help but smile at the younger girl.

“I swear.” She nodded solemnly. 

“Fine…” She sighed before leaving with a goodnight. 

Blue was quick to close and latch the door behind her before whipping back around to the room.

“Yellow?” She called out. The call was answered by a quiet thumping before Yellows head popped out from under the bed.

“That…” The knight growled. “... Was far to close, Azurine.” 

Blue knelt on the floor where Yellow was laying half under the bed.

“Forgive me, my darling. I forgot to latch the door.” She leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to the knights lips. “No one else should disturb us.” She promised. 

Yellow huffed in response.

“Now, if you’ll kindly come out from under the bed, we can get on it.” She smiled at the now flushed knight.


	2. Horses and Secrets

The sun rose bright and early over the Drysor empire. It’s citizens up even before the light had peaked over the horizon. Most of its citizens. 

The bright sunlight was peaking between the dark curtains of Blues room, making the blonde hair beneath her fingers shine like spun gold. 

Blue hummed to herself as she threaded her fingers through it slowly, touch light as a feather, least she wake her sleeping companion, though she really should wake her. Yellow would be furious with herself when she awoke to find the sun had nearly cleared the horizon and she had overslept. 

She always was. 

If she wasn’t up and gone before the sun began to rise she would grumble and gripe under her breath the rest of the morning.

She was adamant that their chances of getting caught could only grow higher in the light of day. 

While Blue may have agreed with that sentiment she was still reluctant to let her lover go, especially when a whole night together was so hard to come by. 

The eldest princess had propped herself up on her left elbow as she ran her fingers over her facedown lovers form. 

Freckles dotted her back like a map of the night sky. She paid them less mind though as she traced the pads of her fingers over the dips and curves of every scar that marred her skin. 

Blue couldn’t help but smile at them. Once, the many marks had made her heart clench, but time with Yellow had taught her that the marks only highlighted how strong she was, she of course still didn’t like seeing the knight captain injured.

Yellow began to move when she brushed over a large scar on her shoulder, slowly, stretching out a body still bogged down by sleep. Slowly her eyes began to open, squinting against the harsh light shining into the room. She glanced around at the room before her eyes settled on Blue.

“Blue…” She gurgled before a jaw cracking yawn stopped anything else she might have said. 

“Sleep well?” Blue giggled quietly as she leaned forward to press a kiss to the crinkled skin of her forehead. 

“You should have woke me.” She mumbled, rolling over onto her back and pushing herself to sit up.

Blue wrapped her arms around the blondes waist and laid her cheek against a chest as freckled as her back. 

“I know… but I didn’t want you to go yet…” She mumbled, nuzzling her face against the soft skin and the yellow diamond pendant that was hanging from Yellow’s throat, laying in the space just above her breasts. Only a slightly different shape than the ultramarine one that hung from Blue’s own neck. 

As much as Yellow had complained when she had gifted it to her, that a knight didn’t need such finery, gift or no, she was pleased that she wore it all the same. 

“Once the sun is up the servants are already roaming the halls, it will be that much harder for me to get out unnoticed.” Yellow grunted, even as she slid her fingers through the long strands of silvery white hair. 

“I know” Blue sighed. “I just wanted more time...” She closed her eyes as Yellow pressed her lips to her head. 

"They'll be no more time if the queen finds out and has me put to death…" She mumbled to herself but Blue heard her just the same.

“Don’t say that…” Her voice hardened to an edge even as her grip tightened and Yellow knew her mistake. She pressed another kiss against Blue’s head.

“Forgive me” She breathed, pulling her closer. 

They stayed that way for a while longer before Yellow knew she needed to go if she were to leave the royal wing of the castle unseen. 

She could feel Blues eyes on her as she dressed, latching each piece of armor carefully into its rightful place. If she did this a little slower than normal who was to say. 

When she’d finished she turned back to the bed where Blue still lay, bright cerulean eyes locked onto her. She knelt down on the bed, Blue pushing herself up to meet her halfway in one last kiss that honestly went on longer than she had intended but neither would complain. 

“Later, in the library?” Blue mumbled against her lips.

“Of course” The knight promised before finally leaving without another word. 

Blue sighed to herself as she finally sat up, still warm silk sheets pooling around her. The nights were just never long enough in Yellow’s presence but dragged on forever without it. 

She took her time dressing and making sure to cover any of the marks Yellow had left the night before from their feverish lovemaking. 

The hall was devoid of servants when she finally left her room and made her way to the dining room. She wasn’t surprised to see Rosaline waiting in her usual spot or that her mother wasn’t there, the previous evenings dinner had been a rare exception. 

Blue frowned to herself. Once their mother had taken every meal with them, but over the last three years her presence had become more and more scarce and she kept herself locked in her own chambers when not holding court. When she did come to meals she often made odd comments or merely ate and stared off at nothing. 

“Blue!” 

Blue was pulled from her thoughts by her sister calling out to her. 

“Good morning, Pink.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to the girls curly pale hair, her own nickname for the girl slipping out in the relative privacy of the dining room. “How did you sleep?” She asked as she settled herself into the chair beside the younger princess, where she sat when their mother didn’t come to meals. 

“Fine. Will you tell me about your meeting with the captain now?” She looked up from her breakfast of bread, fruit and cheese. Blue rolled her eyes at the girls one track mind. 

“It really wasn’t anything interesting. Just how things have been going with the rebellion.” She said as a servant placed a tray of the same in front of her. Pink pursed her lips, looking like she didn’t believe it. Blue popped a strawberry into her mouth. 

“What about this morning?” She asked after a moment. Blue coughed, nearly swallowing the fruit whole. She grabbed the flagon of wine in front of her and drank, dislodging the fruit. 

W-What?” She coughed, turning to her sister with wide eyes. 

“The captain, I saw her outside your door this morning, but she was gone before I could get dressed. What were you talking about?” 

Blue bit her lip, Yellow was right, not that she intended to tell her that. Maybe if she didn’t wear such bright armor... She thought to herself as she stared down at her sister still waiting for an answer. 

“I’m sorry, Pink, but if the captain was outside my door this morning she never came in.” Technically it was true, Yellow had not come in her room this morning, only left it… 

“I saw her!” She insisted.

“I’m sure you did.” She held up a hand to calm the girl. “Even if she was there I never saw her.” That was less true… 

The girl held her stare a minute longer before turning back to her breakfast, grumbling something under her breath Blue couldn’t hear. 

“I’m sure we’ll see the captain later.” She smiled. One of them would at any rate. 

They sat and ate in companionable silence before the younger couldn’t contain herself anymore.

“Would you come riding with me today, Blue?” She piped up. 

Blue looked at the girl thoughtfully, teasing her more than anything, her schedule was delightfully empty other than her secret meeting with the captain later in the day. When she felt she had let her sibling squirm enough she smiled.

“I’d love to, starlight.” She tapped the girls nose affectionately, using their mother’s loving moniker for the girl. One that was never uttered anymore. 

The girls face split into a wide grin. 

“I’m going to change into my riding pants!” She jumped up, bounding across the dining room, barely missing a passing serving girl. Blue sighed. For someone who claimed they weren’t a child the youngest of the Diamonds certainly did not act like it.

Blue changed quickly into a dress more suited for riding and headed down to the stables, Pink was no doubt chomping at the bit herself. Patience was not one of the girls virtues. 

The day was warm and clear as she walked down the dirt path to the stables. Pink had at least chosen a good day to go out. She could hear the usual sounds of horses and stable-hands moving about, but also voices. 

“What if you put javelins on the horse?” Pink’s voice drifted out of the stable as she got closer. Blue frowned, her sister never spoke to the stable-hands. 

”It wouldn’t be very practical...” Came the deadpan reply in a smooth familiar voice that made Blue pick up the pace. 

She stepped around the corner and a smile bloomed on her face at the sight before her. 

Leaning on one of the stable gates was her sister, in conversation with Yellow. The knight was was without her armor, dressed in a loose cotton shirt and a brown jerkin but her sword was strapped to her side as always, at rest against the leg of her trousers. 

“Why not? You wouldn’t even have to get off the horse.” Pink argued. 

“You would be just as likely to impale your own men as much as the enemy.” Yellow said, not even looking at the youngest princess as she brushed her horse. A tall, broad, brown and tan striped stallion the captain referred to as Jasper.

“Mother said it doesn’t matter how many lives it takes, so long as the rebellion is stopped...” Pink repeated, looking up at the captain almost questioningly. Yellow went stock still, lips pursed. Blue could clearly see what Yellow thought of that as she turned to face the girl, but wouldn’t dare raise her word against the queens, perhaps to her, but not Pink.

“All life has value, Pink” She said as she walked up to them, drawing both their gazes. 

“Your Highness.” Yellow greeted with a dip of her head when cerulean and amber eyes met. Blue could see the spark in them, she was sure she was just as transparent to the knight. 

“Captain…” She greeted back, the lilt in her voice made Yellow’s lips twitch. 

Pink was oblivious to what was going on. 

“Yellow! You should come riding with us!” The princess bounced on her toes as she stared up at the taciturn knight. Before she could answer Blue spoke up as well.

“Yes, captain, we could use an escort if you don't have any other pressing matters.” She smiled, knowing from the look on Yellow’s face the knight would agree. She was momentarily thankful for Pink’s admiration for the knight captain, even if it often proved more troublesome than convenient in keeping their secret. 

“If you’d like me to accompany you I can.” Yellow nodded, arms crossed over her chest. She couldn’t fool Blue though. She could tell when the blonde was happy just by the way she held herself. 

“Yes!” Pink jumped.

“Rosaline...” Blue scolded. Pinks shoulders hunched up to her ears at her sister’s chastising tone. Seeing the girl properly quieted Blue turned her attention back to the amused knight. 

“We would appreciate your company, captain.” 

“Shall we go than?” Yellow asked, turning her eyes to the still sulking princess. Pink lit up under her gaze and bolted across the stables to the stall holding her favorite horse. A tall, lithe creature with off white fur she loving called, Pearl. A stable-hand moved to help the younger princess saddle her mount as Yellow went to help Blue.

“It isn’t what I had in mind, but I certainly won’t complain.” Blue mumbled under her breath, never looking up from the task of saddling her horse, Holly; even when she could feel the knight standing just behind her.

“Going riding or that your sister is here?” Yellow asked just as quietly, making a show of checking the straps of Blue’s saddle. 

“Both” 

Yellow huffed a laugh, grinning sidelong at Blue before turning to saddle Jasper. 

“Lets go!” Pink bounced impatiently in her saddle. 

“Were coming…” Blue assured, situating herself atop the silvery gray mare. Yellow just hummed, as they followed Pink out of the stables and into the fields that surrounded the palace. 

Pink wasted no time galloping ahead, exploring every path and shaded area beneath the trees at the forest's edge while her sister and the knight followed at a more reserved pace at each other's side and out of earshot. 

“She’s been asking about you all morning.” Blue turned to her companion. 

“She caught me heading to the stables and I haven’t been able to shake her since.” Yellow grunted, glancing around the open field for potential danger as Pink led them to wherever her heart pleased, headless of any danger. 

“She greatly admires you, darling.” 

“Flattering, but she could admire me a little less…” Yellow mumbled, sitting up higher in her saddle, secretly pleased. 

“I’m afraid It seems to be a family trait…” Blue smiled when the knights face darkened. 

“Blue, Yellow, come look here!” Pinks call saved the knight from Blue’s teasing as they crested a hill that looked down on the valley where the city lay sprawled out in front of them with the sea on one side and farmland on the other, both stretching out as far as the eye could see. 

“What is that?” Pink pointed off into the distance. Blue wasn’t sure where she was pointing to but Yellow seemed to know. 

“On the southern side.” She jerked her head and Blue could see it now, a large group of men and horses walking along the road leaving the city “It's the regiment the queen is sending to secure the southern border with the other territories, should they decide to rebel like Aarde.” Yellow said sourly. 

“I thought the territory in rebellion was called East Drysor?” Pink looked up at the knight. 

“Here, in the heart of the empire, but to the rebels it is still Aarde.” Yellow frowned, watching the procession of armed men. The southern territories had shown nothing but loyalty, even sending reinforcements to the rebellions front line. 

To send so many to protect a perfectly safe border when they were sorely needed on the front left Yellow aggravated and confused. The queen's orders often did that as of late. 

Gloved hands tightened around Jasper's reigns. 

“Are you okay, Yellow?” She turned back to Pink, looking at her with worried eyes. Yellow managed to muster a smile for the princess.

“I’m fine.” She assured. Blue frowned from behind the younger royal but didn’t say anything.

“What were you doing in the royal wing this morning?” Pink suddenly asked, making both women look at her. 

“What?” Yellow blinked at the girl.

“I saw you in front of Blue’s door this morning.” She explained. 

“I was simply checking the security of the doors...” The lie rolled easily off Yellow’s tongue. 

“The doors?” Pinks brows furrowed between her eyes. “Why?” 

“Just to be cautious.” Yellow shrugged. Pink frowned and turned to survey the field, bored by the inane answer. The second she was looking elsewhere Yellow’s head whipped to Blue, eyes glaring in the obvious _‘I told you so look.’_ Blue had the decency to look away. 

Pink hummed as she glanced around and spotted large oak tree off in the distance.

“I bet I can beat both of you to that tree.” She challenged, pointing to the spot. 

“Why don’t we see.” Blue smirked, suddenly spurring Holly into a gallop.

“Blue!” Pink screeched furiously as she followed, Yellow right behind her. Blue only laughed in answer as they flew over and across the fields, wind whipping through her hair. 

She could hear her sisters light footed mare not far behind her, but the younger horse would never catch her. She glanced over her shoulder with a grin just as Yellow galloped by, wiping the grin from her face. 

The knight captain smirked at her as the stallion pulled ahead beating both royals to the tree. 

“That wasn’t fair, Blue!” Pink wailed when she pulled her horse to a stop. 

“Not that it stopped the captain from beating me.” She turned to the grinning knight. 

“Had I been in my armor I wouldn’t have.” 

Pink just slumped in her saddle. Yellow rolled her eyes.

“You rode exceptionally well, princess.” 

Pink jerked up at that.

“Really?” She asked. Yellow gave a nod. 

“Your horse was bred to be beautiful, not quick. That you kept up with your sister and I was worth note.” 

Pink grinned the entire way as she lead them back to the castle. Blue gave the knight a knowing look, which Yellow carefully avoided, looking anywhere but either of the Princess’. 

“You had best hurry along to your afternoon lessons.” Blue reminded Pink as they entered the stables, dismounting. 

“Ugh..” Pink grumbled. 

“Go on now. Attend your lessons and tomorrow I’ll take you into the city with me.” Blue promised, smiling as Pink lit up like the sun before bolting out of the stables, up the path to the palace.

“Bye Yellow!” She called over her shoulder making the knight snort in amusement. 

A stable hand began to unsaddle both royals horses robbing Blue of her excuse to linger there with Yellow. Resigning herself she started back toward the palace. 

She passed the knight as she made her way out of the stables. 

“One hour from now..” She whispered as she passed. Yellow hummed, seemingly to herself but Blue knew better. 

~ 

The hour seemed to drag by for Blue even as she sat in the palace library surrounded by thick leather bound tomes and shelves full of scrolls. 

The library had a special place in her heart. 

It was one of her favorite places as a child to hide from her governess and some years later she would sit nestled among the shelves, thumbing her way through every novel she could get her hands on, soaking up every word she could. Another handful of years after that, at the age of eighteen, it became her favorite place to hide yet again, but this time, from ardent suitors vying for her hand. 

It was here, on the second floor of the library, crouched among the shelves that she had run headlong into her mother’s newest appointed knight. 

A tall blonde woman she had only seen from afar at ceremonies 

The then twenty year old knight hadn’t been able to apologize enough for not looking where she had been going. 

Looking back it was rather endearing. Though she had been rather tongue tied herself in the attractive knights presence. 

No amount of etiquette lessons had prepared her for the way her heart began to pound in her chest every time they ran into each other among the books. Brief greetings turning into short chats, than into long conversations and debates about the books they were reading, sometimes they played chess for hours, enjoying each others company.

It took a few months for Blue to realize she was enamored with Yellow. 

She’d come across the knight one hot afternoon, alone on the training field. She was pulling off her armor and the thin white cotton shirt she’d been wearing beneath was soaked through with sweat. 

Blue’s face burned hotly as she hurried away from the field before the knight saw her. 

She didn’t know what to do with herself after this discovery about herself. Surely Yellow would be repulsed by the idea. She languished over it for weeks before one day they had been alone, in a back corner of the library’s second floor, standing close together leaned over a book.

Yellow was pointing to a particular passage that proved her point in a debate about the empires history that had been ongoing between them for the better part of two months when she’d turned to Blue, smiling and pleased with herself . Her amber eyes alight from the light of the nearby lantern and Blue hadn’t been able to help herself…

_“This proves it!” Aurelia jabbed at the passage of text. _

_“I suppose it does.” She admitted halfheartedly, she was much too distracted by the knights proximity to listen to what she was saying. They were so close their shoulders and arms were brushing. Every touch made her skin tingle. _

_It was dark, their lantern the only source of light in the room. Night had fallen some time ago but Aurelia wouldn’t give up on her search for this particular book, so she stayed where she was, happy to be in the other woman's presence, even as it caused her so much inner turmoil. It was improper for her to have these feelings. For a woman first and foremost, secondly, for someone of the knights lineage and status in comparison to her own. _

_ She was Azurine Diamond; heir apparent to the Drysor Empire._

_Aurelia Stone was a knight; only child of a low-class merchant. _

_Yet her feelings remained. Her heart and body throbbed whenever she was near._

_She shook head, trying to clear away the rampant thoughts. _

_“Well?” The knight asked with a grin, turning to look at her, book still held open in her hands. _

_The light from the lantern was casting shadows across her sharp cheeks and jaw and lighting the amber hue of her eyes ablaze. 5 years later she still wouldn’t be able to explain what had made her surge forward, pressing her lips firmly to the knights mouth and squeezing her eyes shut. _

_She was barely aware of the clatter as the book tumbled from Aurelia’s hands to the cold stone floor. The blonde was stiff as a board against her and Azurine felt cold dread creeping up her throat like bile. _

_She pulled away, opening her eyes to look at the knight staring back at her, mouth ajar and eyes blown wide._

_“I..I’m sorry…” She managed, taking a step back, that seemed to snap the knight out of her shock. Just as the princess turned to flee her wrist was caught in a steel grip and she was turned back around only catching a brief glimpse of those molten eyes before lips were pressing back against hers. _

_She stood momentarily stunned at what was happening before she felt the knights arms wrap around her waist, spurring her to wrap her own around her neck, her fingers digging into the short blonde locks as she was pulled tighter against the taller muscled form. The moan that left her throat surprised them both and they parted, panting and staring at each other with wide eyes. _

_“I…” the knight started, before trailing off, unsure what to say._

_“Kiss me again…?” her voice was low, like speaking any louder than a whisper would break the illusion. _

_Like any good knight, she did as she was asked. _

Blue smiled to herself as she thought about their first kiss, here in the library. 

“What are you smiling about?” A quiet voice made her jump, whipping around to find the object of her thoughts standing their, brow quirked in question. Blue closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Yellow’s neck.

“Why, you of course, my darling.” She said before pressing a long kiss to Yellow’s smiling lips.

She was Azurine Diamond; heir apparent to the Drysor Empire.

Aurelia Stone was a knight; only child of a low-class merchant. 

They were Blue and Yellow; and they were in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This quickly turned into a much more involved project than I intended…. shit gets more serious from here...


	3. Wake up call

Blue rose before the sun as she usually did when Yellow was on leave. She had learned to not let a single moment go to waste if she could help it. They never knew when the knight would be sent off again to conquer lands in the queen's name. As if their time wasn’t limited enough by the constant need for secrecy. 

The need for a quiet place where they could be alone. Where they could just be together, for as long as they desired. Blue’s greatest fantasy.

But a fantasy was all it was, and she knew it. 

A few maids were rushing about the halls, to complete their daily chores, she nodded to them as they passed. Once, years ago they would have stopped to bow or curtsy at her feet, asking if there was anything they could do for her. She’d decided long ago that she didn’t have patience for all the groveling her mother allowed. 

_‘Oh my, glorious, resplendent, wise, elegant, merciful queen..._

They could go on and on and Blue simply didn’t have the time for all of that. 

Speaking of…

“Mother!” Blue dipped into a curtsy when she rounded the corner to find her mother climbing the stairs. The queen stared at her for a long moment , seemingly not recognizing her oldest daughter before something seemed to change in her face.

“Ah, Azurine, good morning.” She nodded, but her eyes seemed to be drifting elsewhere. She was dressed in an elegant white gown that trailed behind her. The silver crown, embedded with a large clear diamond sat prominent on her head, dictating to all in doubt who she was. 

“You’re up early today, mother.” Blue observed.

“Hmm? Oh, yes. I had to see to the rebellion leaders Captain Stone brought in for interrogation…”

“Were you able to get any useful information out of them?” Blue asked, acutely aware of her mother’s drifting attention, it was often like this these days. As though she could not focus on conversations. Blue frowned, clasping her hands together at her waist.

“No... but they will serve as a warning to the rest of the rebellion…” The queen scowled, no longer looking at her daughter but out one of the hall windows that looked out over the courtyard.

Blue gave a nod unsure what else to say to the distracted queen. Before she could say anything else the queen was walking down the hall, seemingly forgetting about the conversation she was having with her eldest.

Blue started to say something but stopped short, watching her mother amble down the hall, the interaction all but forgotten. She frowned, watching the monarch disappear into her room.

She sighed before heading down the stairs to the dining room. She just didn’t know what to say to her mother anymore. Or even what she heard when she did speak. 

When she entered the dining room she wasn’t surprised to see her sister hadn’t yet come down. It was still fairly early after all.

She sat in her usual seat and glanced out the tall windows that lined both sides of the dining room. The sky was beginning to brighten with the light of the rising sun. Blue sat and watched the sky come alive with varying hues of orange, yellow and pink in silence. 

When Pink finally wandered into the dining room Blue had been their for nearly an hour, thinking and watching the rising sun spread its light over the empire. 

“G’mornin, Blue.” The younger princess mumbled, rubbing at her eye as she plopped into her seat beside the older woman. 

“Good morning, Pink.” She smiled at the younger.

“Are we still going to town today?” Pink piped up, remembering Blue’s promise from the day before.

“Of course.” she nodded as a tray of bread and fruit was set down in front of them. “I need to visit the apothecary.” Blue mumbled more to herself than to Pink as she picked up a piece of warm bread, but the younger picked up on it.

“Are you sick?” 

The desperate tone in Pink’s voice made Blue turn sharply. The girl was looking up at her with such panic in her bright eyes that Blue’s breath caught in her throat. She turned in the chair to better face the girl.

“No, no Pink, I’m fine.” She soothed, laying her hands on the girls shoulders and giving a gentle squeeze. “Nothing is wrong.” She smiled.

The panic had slowly seeped from Pinks face but she still looked unsure. Her eyes flickered away, only for a moment, but Blue caught it. Their mother’s empty chair.

Oh

Blue’s grip on her sister tightened. She had hoped beyond hope that Pink was oblivious to their mother’s… behavior changes as of late. 

She sighed deeply through her nose, unsure what to say to the girl about it when she herself wasn’t even sure what was happening. 

“Don’t worry.” She finally said after a long moment. “Now eat, so we can be off to town.” She said, turning back to the table. Pink nodded, picking up an apple, but just ran her thumb over its mottled red and yellow skin thoughtfully while picking at her food with her other hand. 

When they had finished and Blue could see the younger girl getting antsy but doing her best to be patient. She stood, turning to Pink.

“Shall we go?” She was happy to see the bright smile take up her sisters face. 

“Do you think Yellow would come with us?”

“I suppose we could get the captain to escort us into town…” Blue hummed thoughtfully. Yellow’s presence would make them both happy. 

“I’ll go get her.” Pink didn’t wait for an answer as she ran up the stairs to the knight captain’s quarters. 

“No, Rosaline!” Blue called after the teenager, she quickly gathered up her skirts and gave chase though her sister was already out of sight. 

“Oh, damnit” She breathed. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Yellow!”

“Hngh…” 

Inside Yellows personal chambers a lump stirred beneath the wool blankets, a single foot sticking out and hanging off the bed. 

“Yellow!” 

“Ugh…” Slowly, dull honey eyes blinked open, adjusting to the bright early morning light that was filtering in through her windows. With a languid stretch and a yawn Yellow pushed herself up to sit. She slumped over, eyes starting to slide closed again. 

“Yellooooow!” The pounding on her door began again.

“Rosaline…”Yellow grumbled under her breath, whipping the blankets off her legs and plodding to the door. 

Blue finally caught up to the younger princess standing outside Yellow’s door and pounding on the wood with her fist. 

“Rosaline! You can’t just ...” Blue started as the door swung open, making both girls jump as the groggy and disheveled knight captain appeared, baggy cotton tunic hanging off her shoulders, the golden chain that held the diamond pendant Blue had given her was visible but the gem itself was hidden by the cloth. Pink noticed neither, far more preoccupied by the tired glower the knight was directing down at her. 

“What… princess…?” She managed the title almost as an afterthought, tone sharp. Blue bit her lip. Even disgruntled and half awake she found the knight too adorable for her own good.

“I...umm…” Pink stammered, looking up at the very obviously agitated knight. ‘We would like you to escort us to town…” She tried to make it sound like a royal order, but her wavering voice ruined any semblance of authority Pink may have technically possessed

Looking less than impressed, Yellow’s eyes dragged up to Blue, who was biting her lip and doing her best not to laugh at the whole thing. She cleared her throat, making Pink look back at her.

“We were hoping you would accompany us into town this morning, captain.” She smiled, clasping her hands together at her waist. 

She looked back down at Pink who was again, looking up at her pleadingly and holding up the apple she’d still had clutched in her hand.

“I brought you something from our meal.” She held out the offering.

Yellow sighed through her nose and took the offered fruit. 

“Wait for me in the stables…” She finally said. Pink grinned before taking off down the hall. 

Blue watched her disappear down the stairs before turning back to Yellow who was still blinking the sleep from her eyes. A quick glance around confirmed the hall was empty before she took the two steps to close the distance between them and laid a short kiss on the knights cheek.

“I’m sorry she woke you.” She murmured against Yellow’s warm skin.

“I should have been awake already at any rate.” She shrugged, stifling a yawn. Blue resisted the urge to kiss her again, Pink was waiting after all. Later, she promised herself. 

“We’ll wait for you.” She turned to go.

“Don’t forget your and Rosaline’s cloaks.” the knight reminded. 

~ ~ ~ ~ 

Pink could hardly contain herself as they rode through the countryside into town. Watching all their citizens mill about, trading, selling and just living their lives. It fascinated the youngest royal to no end. A life so vastly different to her own, new and intriguing.

“Wouldn’t it just be so interesting, to be something else, to choose to be a seamstress or a cobbler?” She turned to her sister, who gave the girl an amused smile from beneath the hood of her black cloak. 

“Perhaps…” was her noncommittal answer. 

Yellow pulled the apple Pink had given her out of her jerkin and shined it on the black cloak covering her shoulders as she listened to the sisters talk. 

“Choose to spend your entire life in poverty, working all night and day long till you die?” Yellow cocked a brow at the youngest princess as she took a bit out of the fruit. Pink frowned.

“No… just, to do something different for a change. Besides, I’m a princess, I can do whatever I want.” Pink huffed, turning up her nose. Yellow’s response was to bring her horse closer and reach out and flip Pinks hood up, making the girl squeak.

“The point of the cloak is so you aren’t recognized.” She said around another bite. Blue smiled sadly.

‘If only that were true…’ Blue thought to herself looking over her squawking sister to Yellow, riding on her other side.

As if sensing her thoughts Yellow looked up from Pink and they shared a knowing look. Their status’ granted them more freedoms than most, yet at the same time those status’ bound them in other ways. 

To dutifully follow orders that dictated the slaying of men and women alike. 

To sit through the rambling of oblivious suitors from noble families and pick up all the duties being neglected by their monarch as she focussed on the rebellion. 

Bound to always being on guard, bound to dark corners of the library where no one would see the way they held hands or sat much to close as they spoke in hushed tones and grinned stupidly at each other. 

Pink would learn someday. 

“You chose to be a knight, Yellow.” Pink argued.

“No” Yellow said after swallowing the food in her mouth. “I chose to be a soldier for the empire. The queen made me a knight.” She corrected. “And I only chose to fight to escape the merchant class.” Yellow crunched on the apple. 

Blue could see the aggravation building with this line of conversation. Yellow’s father had not been a successful merchant, and had died penniless, leaving his only daughter with nothing at a very young age. 

“Pink…” Blue started only for the girl to plow ahead.

“What’s wrong with being a merchant? You can’t say you’d rather be a princess, it’s so boring. I think it would be fascinating to be a merchant.” She smiled.

“I think it would have been fascinating to not go hungry more days than not!” Yellow suddenly barked, turning a glare onto Pink, who shrank inside her hood at the look. Blue glanced between them worriedly. 

As the flash of anger cooled as quickly as it had come Yellow realized her mistake. Rosaline was a girl who had never truly known anything but the inside of the palace. She sighed, letting the snarl fall from her face, leaving her feeling tired.

“I apologize for that.” She started, looking for the right way to say this. “You don’t understand the kind of hardships your birth right has shielded you from Rosaline.” Yellow explained, leveling a serious but patient gaze on the youngest princess, who frowned. “My family was destitute. I chose to be a soldier not because I wanted to but because the only other choice available to me was starvation.” 

“Oh…” Pink mumbled.

“That being said, for all the things I’ve had to do in the empire's name, I don’t regret that choice.” She glanced at Blue, watching them. 

The rest of the ride into town was more subdued till they arrived and new life was breathed into Pink by the hustle and bustle of the towns people. They left their horses at the guardhouse where Yellow commanded one of her men to keep an eye on them.

“Come, Pink. I need to see the apothecary.” Blue reminded and started down the cobblestoned streets toward the shop in question. Pink sighed, looking longingly at all the merchant stalls in the opposite direction. 

“After” Yellow said, following Blue. Pink hurried along behind them.

Yellow wrinkled her nose when they stepped into the shop, the strong smell of herbs and salvs was overwhelming the moment they stepped through the door.

“Welcome!” The small, frail elderly shop owner called out to them when they entered. 

Blue was quick to disappear among the many shelves of medicines.

“It smells in here…” Pink grimaced, looking around at the dark shop. Yellow grunted in agreement as they followed behind the elder princess. 

Pink eyed the many things for sale curiously. Rows of dark glass bottles with indiscernible contents lined one entire wall from floor to ceiling. On another were bundles of dried plants of all different kinds. 

Blue sifted through the plants carefully for the herbs she was looking for. Throwing the things she wanted into the sack she’d brought. A bundle of Yarrow, rosemary and mint all went into the bag. 

Pink watched her curiously.

“What is all this even for?” She questioned. 

“These…” She held up the sac. “When you add some wine and grind them into a paste are used for helping heal wounds and fight off infections.” She explained. 

“You’ve never been wounded, Blue.” Pink pointed out. 

“No, but I know some who frequently are.” Her eyes darted up to Yellow, who crossed her arms and huffed to herself. 

Pink caught the look and giggled at the pouting knight captain. 

"Are we done here?" Yellow groused.

"Nearly…" Blue nodded walking back up to the front with her things. She set the sac down in front of the elderly shopkeep. 

"Is that all you need?" She asked.

"Do you have anything that helps with...shifting moods??" She asked quietly. Yellow glanced at her, brows furrowing between her eyes. 

"Moods?" The old woman repeated. "Hmm..no, I’m afraid I don’t.” She shook her head. Blue frowned. 

“Than this will be all.” She nodded, pulling the small leather bag from beneath her cloak and handing over a handful of silver coins with her mother’s face minted on one side.

“We can go now.” She turned to her companions. 

“Finally…” Pink wasted no time leaving the dim foul smelling shop, but Yellow lingered, casting Blue a concerned look from beneath the hood of her cloak. 

“Later…” She promised, laying a hand on the knights arm as she passed. That did not make Yellow feel better. 

Pink was running ahead of them, toward the market.

“Come on!” Pink whipped around, cloak flapping about her form as she waved them on.

Blue couldn’t help but grin at her as they followed at a more relaxed place. 

She jumped when she felt a hand take hold of her own. She looked up at Yellow, eyes wide. Before looking back at Pink who was paying them no mind as she bounced between the different stalls set up along the street. 

“Are you alright?” The concern in those amber eyes made her breath hitch. She squeezed the hand in hers with a smile. 

“I’m fine, I promise. We’ll talk about it later.” She gave a final squeeze before gently tugging free of the knights grip and following behind Pink.

“Look at these.” The younger princess pointed at a table of glittering, uncut gems, polished to a high shine and reflecting light in all directions.

“Finest gemstones in all of Drysor!” the man claimed, sweeping a hand over his wares. Yellow rolled her eyes before wandering over to another table selling an assortment of leather goods.

“They are beautiful.” Blue conceded. The uncut stones had a primal charm to them, rough but charming in their own way.

Losing interest in the stones Pink moved to the table where Yellow was inspecting daggers. 

“Oh..” Pink picked up an elegant stiletto dagger with an intricate twisted handle and a small pink gem imbedded into the cross guard. “Yellow…?” Pink looked up at the knight who was testing the weight of a boot dagger. 

"Hmm?" She glanced at the princess out of the corner of her eye. 

"If I bought this dagger would you teach me how to use it?" She asked.

Yellow almost dropped the knife she was holding as she turned fully to face the princess, eyebrows disappearing into her hairline beneath the cloaks hood.

"What?' she asked unsure if she’d heard that correctly.

"I've just been thinking…" She started looking down at herself in the reflection of the blade. "With all the things that have been going on with the rebellion, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea if I learned how to protect myself." She looked up at Yellow.

The knight pursed her lips and she thought about the request. There were plenty of nobles who would say a princess didn't need to know how to use a dagger. Yellow however, was of the mind that everyone should know how to protect themselves.

She glanced up at Blue who was looking at her just as expectantly as Pink. 

“If that’s what you want…” She started and Pinks face started to bloom into a grin but Yellow quickly held up a finger. “On the condition… that you tell no one.” 

“Keep it a secret, why?” She tilted her head. 

“I have my reasons princess…” Yellow said crossing her arms over her chest. “So?” 

“A secret.” Pink grinned, giving a nod. 

“How much for the dagger?” Yellow called over to the merchant. A large bearded man. 

“20 ore.” he said. 

Pink immediately reached for the pouch of coins at her belt but Yellow stopped her by taking the dagger and inspecting it. 

“We’ll give you 12.” Yellow offered.

“12?! No, never!” 

“Very well.” She laid the dagger back on the table and began to walk away. Pink started to protest but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked up at Blue who was smiling knowingly.

Yellow didn’t get more than a few steps away from the stall before…

“Wait!” The man called. Yellow glanced at him over her shoulder. “15 and it’s yours.” He offered. She turned to Pink and jerked her head at the man. She quickly paid him the agreed upon sum and took her new dagger with a wide grin. Blue chuckled to herself. 

“How did you know he would offer it for less. Yellow?” Pink asked as they walked away from the stalls and she slid the sheathed dagger into the belt holding her dress cinched at the waist. 

“I was born and raised in this place.” Yellow reminded. “The price they tell you is vastly inflated over what they’ll actually take. Only a fool pays the first price they demand.” 

Pink flushed.

“You should have gotten one, Blue.” She turned to her sister, who laughed behind her hand.

“Who said I don’t already?” A single sculpted brow rose in question. Pink starred up wide eyed.

As they exited the sidestreet of stalls a loud, raucous crowd had gathered in the center of town.

“What’s going on?” Pink looked around at all the jeering townspeople huddled together. 

Blue and Yellow exchanged glances. 

“Pink…” Blue started to reach for her but a moment to late as she moved forward, toward the center of the commotion. The two older women followed as she pushed her way through the crowd to the front. 

When they reached the front they could see what was going on.

Standing in the squares center were three men, looking worse for wear, chained and bound together. Several castle guards stood at the ready on either side of them while a man in noble garb held up a parchment and called for quiet among the rowdy townspeople. 

“Oh no…” Blue mumbled and Yellow could only agree. 

“What is it?” Pink asked looking up at them before turning back to whatever was going on. 

“Those are the Aarde rebel band leaders I captured.” Yellow leaned in and whispered to Blue who pursed her lips together tightly. 

“These men have been found guilty of treason against the empire!” The crowd began to holler and yell again before being quieted. “It is by the order of her royal majesty that they be put to death by stoning!” He declared to the cheers of the crowd. He turned to the men. “If you have any last words, speak them now or may they forever be lost.” 

“Long live Aarde!” the youngest of the three jumped up only for the first stone to come flying out of the crowd, smacking him in the forehead and knocking him to his knees. 

With that the dam was broken as large rocks flew through the air, smacking the men from every angle. They huddled together and covered their heads with their arms as they were beaten from all sides. 

The sounds of stone hitting flesh made Blue flinch, her hand covered her mouth. 

Pink watched in horror as a boy younger than her lobbed a stone at one of the huddled men, it struck one of them in the head and blood gushed from his ear as he curled into the fetal position, crying out as he was struck again and again. Stone breaking skin. 

She jerked when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She looked up, wide eyed at Yellow’s grave face.

“We need to go.” Was all the knight said.

Pink could only nod numbly as Yellow pulled her and Blue through the crowd back to the guard house, though it wasn’t quick enough to miss the way all three men were now bloodied messes on the ground and the stones kept coming. 

The entire ride back to the palace Pink didn’t say a word. 

Blue watched her worriedly and Yellow just sighed to herself. 

They were supposed to be interrogating the band leaders. Had they gotten everything they could out of them already? 

She would get her answers when they returned to the palace.

And she would.

Walking back through the receiving hall did the trio come upon the queen leaving the throne room as court came to a close.

“Mother!” Pink spoke for the first time since they had left town. 

Winea Diamond looked up as her youngest came running up to her and wrapped her arms around her, burying her face into her chest. Blue stopped next to them and Yellow stood a few feet away, back straight and hands clasped behind her back. 

“Whatever is the matter my dear?” The queen ran her fingers through the girls soft curly hair. 

‘We went into town and they were executing the rebel band leaders.” Blue answered for her upset sister. “It was… disquieting…” She admitted. 

“Oh? Is that what you’re upset about?” She looked down at Pink who was looking back up at her with glassy eyes and nodded. “There’s no reason to be upset about that my dear.” She soothed, pushing Pink back just enough to look into her face. Pink started to smile.

“It’s what they deserved.” 

Pinks smile dropped and Yellows jaw clenched while Blue fisted her hands into her skirts. 

“They were rebellious traitors. They and their little rebellion are disrupting the peace and prosperity of our empire.” She explained to the girl as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “The rest will get much of the same.” She promised with a bright smile.

“B-but…”The girl stuttered.

“Now, no more of this crying.” She wiped at Pinks cheeks with thin wrinkled hands. “It is quite unseemly for someone of your status.” She tutted and pulled herself away from Pink and as she had done so often as of late seemed to forget they were even having a conversation as she just wandered away down the hall, leaving both her children and the knight captain in her wake.

Pink watched her mother go as tears continued to drip down her cheeks, once the queen was gone she choked on a sob. Blue moved to hold her but without a word Pink took off toward the stairs, sobbing. 

Blue looked desperately to Yellow who nodded her head toward the stairs. 

“Go, take care of her, I’ll wait for you in my quarters.” She said quietly. Blue nodded before hurrying off.

~~ ~ ~ ~ 

It was several hours later when Blue finally appeared, looking tired and drawn as she silently closed and latched the door behind her. Yellow watched her from her bed.

Blue crawled onto the bed next to her and laid her head on the knights chest. Yellow laid her hands across her back. 

“Is she alright?” Yellow finally broke the silence.

“For now…” She sighed. “She was upset about the execution but…I can’t keep it from her anymore.” Blue squeezed her eyes shut, fisting her hand into Yellow’s tunic as the knight waited patiently for her love to speak. 

“Something is wrong with our mother…” She said at last, voice barely above a whisper. Yellow tightened her grip on Blue.

“I’ve had my suspicions…” She mumbled. “Our orders have gotten more brutal and conflicting everyday.One day we have orders to secure a town and the next we’re ordered to burn it down...” 

“When you speak to her it’s as though she’s looking through you, like she can’t even see you.” 

Yellow could feel droplets of water on her skin. 

"I don’t know what to do, Yellow…” Blue admitted. The knight buried her face into the princess’ hair and held her tightly. 

“It will be alright, my love.” She soothed, running her fingers through the long silvery strands while she cried. 

“How? How will it be alright?” Blue choked, looking up at her, searching desperately for an answer in her amber eyes. 

“I don’t know yet…” Yellow admitted, running a thumb over Blue’s cheek, wiping away the tears there. “But I will do whatever you need me to.” She promised. 

Blue closed her eyes and leaned into the gentle touch. 

“I know you will....” She mumbled, taking hold of Yellow’s hand and pressing a kiss to rough, scarred knuckles. “I’d be lost without you…” 

“Hardly…” Yellow scoffed making Blue’s lips twitch upward as she laid her head back on her chest, resting beneath the knights chin, where they stayed till the morning light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting into it now.  
~Rohad


	4. Daggers in the Library

“You have to go eventually.” 

Blue kept her eyes closed and frowned. 

They’d been awake for a while but as usual, neither was eager to leave the other’s presence. 

“You have a meeting with the merchant guild later this morning.” Yellow reminded. Blue buried her face in the knights neck petulantly and grunted but made no indication she would be moving further, making the knight chuckle. 

Yellow ran her hands through Blue’s long silken hair. Strands fell through her fingers like running water. 

“If you don’t keep this empire running who will?” Yellow mumbled against her ear before pressing her lips against it, once, twice, moving down the column of Blue’s neck to her collar, hands sliding down to her hips. Blue giggled, pushing her away. 

“Don’t start things you have no intention of seeing through to the end, captain” She warned, pushing herself to sit up and giving the smug faced knight a hard look as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. She glanced at the door sadly before turning back to Yellow, one carefully sculpted eyebrow rising suspiciously. 

“I never told you about any meeting… how did you know I have a meeting with the guild today…?”

“You’d be surprised at everything I know.” Was the flippant answer. 

“Tell me…” Blue demanded, holding her hands up threateningly. Yellow’s face turned suddenly serious.

“Azurine…” She warned, body going rigid beneath her. Cerulean eyes narrowed at the warning. It seemed the knight captain needed to be reminded who the princess was here. 

Without another word she dug her fingers into the knights sides. 

Yellow gave an immediate jerk when Blue’s fingers jabbed at her sides, pressing and dragging. 

“Stop!” She gasped, squirming and trying to buck the princess off her lap to no avail. 

“Tell me, Aurelia.” She said, ignoring the knights constrained wheezing as she danced her fingers under her tunic onto warm, bare skin. Finally a bark of laughter escaped Yellow’s throat followed by more wheezing giggles that seemed so out of place coming out of the serious and stern knight captain’s mouth. 

Blue was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt as she watched her lovers face flush as she laughed uncontrollably. 

“Are you going to tell me yet?” Her voice lilted in a singsong manner. 

Yellow tried to roll, and throw the princess off her but Blue kept her legs squeezed tight around the knights waist. “This would go so much easier for you if you just told me!” Blue grinned, digging her fingers unmercilessly into her sides. 

“Servants!” Yellow wheezed and immediately the assault ended. Yellow lay red faced and panting beneath her, not for the first time, she thought smugly. “I get your schedule from the servants…” She huffed, turning away, embarrassed. 

“I’m hardly in danger in trade meetings.” Blue ran her cool hand over one of the knights flushed red cheeks. She huffed again in answer.

“I want to know where you are, just in case.” She grumbled, still not looking at Blue.

The soft but gruffly spoken words made Blue’s heart flutter. Yellow had the uncanny ability to do that. 

The tone in which she usually expressed herself was gruff and surly, so more often than not people took her words at their tone, rather than their meaning. 

After five years of being together she could hear the meaning behind the brusque tone. 

_‘If something happens I want to know where you are so I can get there.’_

“Oh, Yellow...” She breathed, leaning down to press a long kiss to her lips. ”I do love you so...” She mumbled between kisses. Yellow hummed before separating herself from the royal. 

“Now who’s starting things they can’t finish?” She grinned.

“I suppose I should go, I need to freshen up and check on Pink at some point…” She sighed, looking off into space.

“Rosaline will be alright.” Yellow squeezed one of the princess’ hands. Hoping she sounded more sure than she felt. She’d known the younger princess since she was a small child and she’d seen her throw her share of fits and tantrums but the day before when her mother had walked away, seemingly forgetting she even had children, seeing right through her... she’d never seen such sorrowful confusion in her face. 

“Perhaps you’re right, daling. Pink has surprised me before…” 

A soft knocking on Yelows door made them both go silent and look at each other. Blue quietly slipped off the bed and with a grumble to herself laid on the floor on the other side of the bed, out of sight of the door. 

Yellow straightened her tunic, making sure she was presenable before opening the door.

“Princess?” Yellow’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked down at the girl standing outside her door.

“Good morning, Yellow…” She greet more subdued than usual. 

“Is everything alright?” Yellow couldn’t help but ask, looking at the girl, she looked, lackluster. Not her usual self. For one thing she hadn’t been trying to beat in the door. 

“Yes, I suppose, as well as usual… I wanted to ask if you had time today to start teaching me to use my dagger?” She looked up hopefully. Something about the sad aura around the youngest Diamond tugged at Yellow’s heart. 

“Of course.” She gave a nod. 

“Really?” She smiled, seeming to brighten up a bit.

“Yes, change into something practical and I’ll meet you in the stables, we’re going to go elsewhere” She instructed. With a grin Pink hurried down the hall but it was obvious to anyone that knew the girl that she was not herself. Yellow pursed her lips as she closed her door.

“She’s not herself…” Blue sighed as she pushed herself up off the floor. Even without seeing her sister she knew just by the tone of her voice. 

“What did you tell her last night? About the queen?" Yellow turned to her. 

"Nothing." 

"Nothing?" 

"No, she never asked, she was upset about what happened with her but… she never really asked and I… I didn't know what to say…I don’t even know myself what’s going on." She clasped her hands over her waist and looked at the floor. The knight hummed to herself

"I need to talk to her…" 

"You need to go to the merchant guild meeting. " Yellow reminded and Blue sighed, tugged her hands through her hair frustratingly. 

"Rosaline will be with me most of the day, she'll be fine. " Yellow placed an assuring hand on her shoulder. 

"You're right." She nodded smiling thankfully at the knight. "I need to go, meet me in the library after supper?" 

Yellow just crossed her arms over her chest and hummed an affirmative.

She smiled back at the knight before leaving her quarters. 

Yellow quickly changed into some fresh clothes and headed down to the kitchens. 

The cooks didn't notice her throwing bread, fruit and cheese into a bag, nor the wax cloth wrapped piece of honeycomb.

Though they certainly would later… but it was a victimless crime. 

When she finally got out to the stables Rosaline was slumped over the stall gate holding Pearl in her pen. The princess was rubbing the horse's snout. She looked up as Yellow approached.

"Are you ready?" 

“Yes!” she dropped of the gate 

She looked the princess up and down, taking note of her riding pants, tucked into black leather boots, and the loose, off-white tunic under a dark brown jerkin. The new dagger, held at her waits by the knotted belt.

She was dressed exactly as Yellow, which the knight noticed right away. 

"Well, I can’t say you’re not dressed appropriately.” She noted with no lack of amusement and a little embarrassment that the princess had styled herself exactly like her. Pink grinned at her. 

“Come on” She nodded and within a few minutes were riding out of stables and towards the forest.

Pink followed the knight closely down narrow, worn paths that trailed between the many towering oak and maple trees that made up the royal woods.

“Where are we going?” She glanced around at the thick underbrush. 

“Be patient.” She chastised. Pink pouted. 

After a few more minutes the woods seemed to be thinning out and and they broke the tree line into a clearing. 

It stretched down hill and back into the woods about fifty yards away. At its center was a large clear pond and next to the pond were… scarecrows?

Pink looked at Yellow who was climbing off her horse, Pink quickly followed, knotting the reigns around nearby tree. 

Pink torotted after the knight as she walked over to the pond.

Now that she was closer she could see that the scarecrows were straw training dummies like the ones in the training yard at the palace. 

“This is where I come to train by myself.” Yellow answered her question before Pink could even ask it. “We don’t want anyone to see you, so this place will work.” She laid a hand on one of the dummies heads. "Think of these as you would a real attacker, take every threat seriously. Now, show me how you stand." 

Pink blinked before looking down at her feet before looking back up at Yellow.

"How you stand with the dagger, Rosaline." The knight sighed, pressing a hand to her temple.

"Oh" Pink flushed and pulled out the blade, holding it tightly in her right hand. 

Yellow walked around her and kicked out her foot, adjusting the stance. 

"You're holding it to tightly. That's the best way to break your wrist, relax." She said and the princess loosened her stranglehold on the hilt. Yellow nodded. "Now strike.” 

Pink hesitated only a moment before she thrust the blade out, sinking it deep in to the dummy’s straw flesh, puncturing the sac. She looked up at Yellow questioningly. 

“Again” Yellow stood back, arms crossed over her chest. Again, Pink drew back her arm and attacked, sinking the shining blade deep into her would be attackers dry guts.

“Good” Yellow encouraged but didn’t have to say anything else as Pink, unprompted continued to stab at the manakin.

Every strike seemed to grow in intensity.

There was something angry about the way the princess hacked at the figure till it’s straw guts were spilling onto the ground in a puddle of fake macabre. Her breathing heavy as beads of sweat dripped down her face and off her chin.

Yellow would occasionally correct her form till Pink never wavered. It was at least an hour judging by the sun, before Pink slid to her knees on the ground, grip going slack and the dagger fell to the dust. The knight watched her closely and finally saw that sweat was not the only thing dipping down her cheeks. 

Silently, tears had started dripping from her eyes, camouflaged by the sweat. She wiped at her face with her sleeve, specifically not looking at the knight, embarrassed to let Yellow see her cry twice in as many days.

When the panting stopped she stayed in the dirt, looking down at her knees. 

“Yellow?” She finally spoke, still not looking up at the blonde. “Is it always like that?” She finally asked. Before Yellow could ask what, she carried on. “Yesterday, is it always like that?” She finally looked up at the knight.

“More or less.” Was the simple answer. Pink frowned, eyes turning back to her lap, digging her fingers into the fabric of her pants. 

“It was horrible… and they liked it.” Her voice wavered. “They… enjoyed killing those men…” Her voice hitched. 

“To the lower classes of the empire a public execution may as well be an invitation to a ball.” She scoffed, looking off into the woods as Pink leveled her with a horrified look. “Any way to add some excitement to their otherwise dreary lives. They don’t care because they aren’t the ones being condemned to death…” The knight scowled. 

“You hated it…” Pink said, remembering the grim set of the older woman’s face as they had hurried out of town. Yellow knelt at the girl’s side. 

“I’ve seen enough death to last a lifetime, there has never been any novelty in it for me.” Yellow agreed. 

“Mother didn’t even care...” Pink sniffed, wiping at her eyes as fresh tears tried to trickle past her long lashes. “...She didn’t care about me…” Her lip quivered. 

Yellow wasn’t sure what to say about that, so she said nothing. 

Pink turned away, eyes landing on the dagger that had fallen into the dirt at her side. 

“She’s changed…” She started, picking up the blade, twisting it in her fingers “She used to eat the morning and evening meal with us… sometimes she’d pop into my lessons just to see me.” She looked back up a knight who sat silent and still, listening.”Call me starlight...” She trailed off. 

“Once, a few years ago, she even took me with her on a royal visit to the neighboring kingdom and not Blue.” She smiled at the memory, though it was tinted with sadness.

Yellow remembered. It had been four years ago and she had been ordered to stay behind and guard Blue. They had taken the opportunity and made love for the first time. 

“I remember.” Was all she said. The smile fell and her eyes slid back to the blade in her hands. 

“She never comes to meals anymore, she stays in her room when she’s not holding court. She doesn’t come to see me… when I do see her it’s like...she’s looking past me…” She scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her left arm. Her right hand tightening around the dagger’s hilt. She ignored the way it bit into her skin. 

“Yellow?” She asked after a long moment, looking into the knights amber eyes. “What’s wrong with her?” She asked at last.

Yellow sighed warily, but never broke her gaze with the princess.

“I don’t know.” She said. “Nor does Azurine…” She admitted. 

“You’ve talked to Blue about it?” Pink looked at her, confused. Yellow cursed herself for letting that slip out. 

“She was concerned after yesterday…” Which was certainly true. 

“Ah… yes.” Pink nodded and sighed. 

They sat there for a while in the quiet. 

Till Pinks stomach growled loudly, making her jump.

“You didn’t eat this morning did you, Rosaline…” It wasn’t really a question given how early she had appeared at her door this morning. The girls cheeks glowed pink. Yellow snorted as she rose to her feet, walking back to the horses. Pink watched her pull a sac out of her saddle bags and situate herself on a large rock at the pond edge. She jerked her head and Pink scrambled to her feet, bounding to the kight’s side.

Her eyes lit up as Yellow pulled out the food she’s taken from the kitchens. She immediately reached out for the honeycomb only for the knight to yank it out of her reach. 

“Eat first.” She scolded.

Pink stuck out her tongue before putting a piece of cured meat in her mouth. Yellow just gave her a look before taking a bite out of the honeycomb.

“Hey!” She squealed. Yellow just cocked a brow, daring the girl to say something else. The silent threat had been made. Pink quickly simmered and ate her fill after which Yellow handed over the remaining honey comb. 

As she was enjoying the treat Yellow couldn’t help but notice the girl using her non dominant hand.

“Let me see your hand.” She held out her own. Pink hesitated before seeing the knights serious gaze and slipping her hand into the larger gloved one. Turning over her hand Yellow could see the raw spots and blisters that had risen on the girls hand from gripping the hilt of the dagger. 

“Your sister will put some sav on this when we get back. It’s not bad.” She promised. “Practice enough and your hands will look like mine.” She pulled off her glove and held her hand up for Pinks inspection.

Her fingers were thinner and longer than Pink had thought, having always been covered by the thick leather gloves. There was a thick callus at the base of her thumb and at the junction of every finger, built up over years of practice with her sword 

Pink ran her soft fingertips over the thick skin in wonder before the knight was pulling away and sliding the glove back on.

“Does Blue actually carry a dagger?” Pink asked her around a mouth of honey.

“You’d have to ask her.” Yellow shrugged. She had no intention of telling the girl that Blue did in fact carry a long, onyx handled dagger, secured to her upper thigh. 

When Pink had finished off her treat Yellow stood, brushing the dirt from her pants.

“Now, I’m going to show you how to make an overhead killing strike…” Yellow pulled her own dagger out of her boot, flipping it in the air with a flourish that made Pink go starry eyed. 

She looked down at her own dagger.

“Don’t!” Yellow’s voice made her jump. 

~

They spent another hour disemboweling and eviscerating the dummies before Yellow called the practice to an end. 

“Your hand can’t take anymore today, It’s time we head back. You still have afternoon lessons to attend.” She reminded. Pink made a face but didn’t argue with her, just mounted her horse alongside the knight. 

The path out of the woods seemed just as convoluted as it had going in and Pink stayed close to Yellow’s side, weary of the many animals they said made the forest outside the palace their home.

She felt much better once they broke the treeline and the warm breeze was free to move through her hair and across her damp skin. 

A stable-hand took over unsaddling Pearl leaving Pink no choice but to go on to her lessons. 

She paused, looking over her shoulder at the knight captain as she unsaddled her larger steed.

“Yellow!” She called, making the knight turn. ‘Thanks Yellow!” She shouted before running down the path back to the palace. The knight just smiled to herself. 

~

After the evening meal Blue had tutted as she looked over her hand, not pleased by the rawness and blisters left behind.

She made the younger follow her back to her room where she had already started making the sav’s she would use on Yellow when she came home injured. 

“I take it you enjoyed your outing with the captain?” She asked as she spread some of the strange smelling mixture across the wounds on the girls palm.

“Yeah, she took me to this clearing in the woods where she trains. It was really beautiful.” She told the elder all about their day and the sweet treat the knight had brought her, and especially how she’d taken a bite out of it first. Blue chuckled at that. 

She finished wrapping a clean strip of linen around her sister’s palm, tying it closed.

“Leave this tonight and in the morning we’ll wash it off.” She pressed a kiss to the girls forehead. 

“Thank you, Blue.” 

“Now you had best be off to bed.” She nudged her along. Pink sighed but moved to the door all the same. 

They bid each other goodnight. It was after she’d already made it to her own room that Pink remembered that she had forgotten to ask Blue about her own dagger. She had barely stepped out of her room when she saw Blue leaving her own room with a single candle to light the dark hall.

Where was her sister going at this time of night? Normally She would have called out to the older woman but instead Pink trailed behind her, silent in her slippered feet and just out of the candle’s sphere of light. Blue walked quickly and silently down the halls, unaware of the small shadow trailing behind her. 

_‘The library?’_ Pink thought to herself, confused as Blue disappeared behind the library doors.

She waited a moment before slowly pulling open the door and glancing around. She could see her sister heading up the stairs to the second floor by the light of the candle in the otherwise dark room. 

She followed as quickly and silently as she could. 

She peaked over the top of the stairs, watching her sister round a shelf in the far back corner. 

As she crept closer she could suddenly hear Blue speaking to someone.

“You worked her much to hard today.” The crown princess scolded someone. 

“She’s fine, you coddle her to much.” Came the reply in a familiar voice. “How was the meeting with the merchant guild?” 

“It was fine… until mother showed up...” She heard her sister sign tiredly. She finally peaked around the shelves to find her sister and Yellow sitting very close together on the fainting couch in front of the drawn closed windows. 

Why were she and Yellow meeting up in the library this late at night? Pink eye narrowed, they had obviously planned to meet here. What was going on? 

Yellow laid a comforting hand over Blues. “What happened?”

“For starters, she demanded that if they wanted to do business in the empire they could no longer trade with any of the southern territories, who, I’m sure I need not remind you are technically part of the empire by conquest.” She rubbed at her forehead. “She of course didn’t seem to be there for the majority of it. The heads of the merchant guild saw it all…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to do, Yellow.” She laid her head on the knights shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Blue…” 

Pink blinked, watching this. Never in all her life had she heard Blue call the knight ‘Yellow’ it was always ‘captain’. Yellow too always called them by their titles. What was this? Pink grew more confused by the second.

“I spoke to the court physician today, described these things to him, as a purely hypothetical of course...he said...that someone acting like that was succumbing to madness. That’s what it is isn’t it? My mother is going mad…” She said this with a quiet resignedness, having had all day to come to peace with this conclusion. Yellow just pursed her lips. Blue didn’t need her to say that she thought so as well.

“I’m afraid Yellow… She’s becoming so unpredictable. She wasn’t even supposed to be at that meeting…” 

Yellow squeezed her hand comfortingly. 

Blue lifted her head so she could look at the captain, clearly upset. 

“Worst of all, tomorrow she’s going to assign you new duties… you’ll probably be sent back to the front, maybe somewhere even worse, but I need you here now more than ever, my love.” 

Pink’s jaw swung open.

“I know… and I wish I could stay.” She gathered Blue in her arms and pulled her close, tucking the smaller woman's head under her chin. When they didn’t move to say anything else Pink quietly backed away, hurrying back to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She know  
~Rohad


	5. Two Princess' and a Knight

Yellow took her time strapping her armor into place, making sure to look presentable when she was summoned to see the queen this morning. She and Blue had decided that the best way to deal with this for now was to carry on as they always had.

Not that they had much choice in the matter. Yellow was bound to do as commanded, least she wanted to be the next person stoned to death by mindless townspeople. Blue promised that she would be discussing things with the court advisors, no doubt they had noticed the queen’s continually worsening erratic behavior being in such close proximity to her most days. 

The sun was only now starting to peak over the horizon, she’d made sure to be awake and out of Blue’s room much earlier than last time. Blue didn’t like it but she understood the day’s urgency. She was still reluctant to let her go when she tried to get out of bed. Who knew when they would be able to enjoy each other’s company again. 

Yellow sighed. She had never been one to question her orders nor her queen, she hadn’t risen to captain for nothing, but things had been steadily declining ever since the rebellion began and she was worried about Blue and Pink. 

She didn’t think the queen would ever hurt them, she mostly just seemed to forget they even existed and that was somehow almost, worse.

Almost

Blue had been in training all her life to one day succeed the queen, she could run the empire just fine. The eldest princess was more worried about her sister and both of them having to watch the queen’s descent into madness.

Yellow scrubbed her hand over her face. Everything was such a mess right now. She wished she could do something that would help the sisters. At present her hands were just as tied as theirs.

They all had their rolls in the empire, Yellow had always followed hers, to great success. but even if she didn’t say it aloud and Blue never made mention of it, it was obvious to both of them that it wasn’t the queen where Yellow’s undying loyalty lay, but squarely in her love’s hands. 

It would be treasonous to say such a thing. 

Yellow snorted to herself. As though sleeping with the next heir to the throne wouldn’t get her put to death just as easily as the former.

It hardly mattered at this point. She knew who she would fight for if Blue decided it was her time to take the throne in light of the queen’s failing mental state. 

But that was a decision for Blue to make, and one that would never be made unless they were locked in the most dire of situations. 

A few hours later she was summoned to the throne room and was surprised to find both Blue and Pink there at the queen’s side. Both younger women looked worried and confused, they were never called to hold court with their mother without reason. 

“Your Majesty. Your highness’”She greeted the three dipping into a bow. 

“Ah, Captain Stone, how good of you to join us. I have been considering your next assignment and have decided that your talents could be best served escorting Azurine and Rosaline...” She began.

Yellow listened intently, keeping her eyes on the monarch who seemed quite lucid today.

“...to Fort Luna on the front line.” She finished.

Maybe not. 

The princess’ both jerked to look at the queen who sat in her throne smiling serenely as though she hadn’t just ordered her only two daughters to go to the war torn front line that was constantly moving back and forth and could easily catch them in it. 

“Fort Luna? Why?” Blue was the first to find her voice. 

“This uprising has gone on long enough. I think the men have simply not been duly motivated.” She waved a hand. “You two shall go and lift their morale. Remind them what they are fighting for and remind the traitors that we in the heart of the empire are unfazed by their little rebellion.” She explained. 

Blue didn’t know what to say. Yellow less so.

“Your Majesty.” The queen’s eyes slid to her and Yellow could see it, the queen was looking at her, yet it felt like she couldn’t see her, like she was invisible. Yellow powered on regardless.

“The front line at Fort Luna shifts by the day, Princess Azurine and Rosaline could be caught up in the fighting at any moment, it isn’t safe for them there.” She made her case. Suddenly the queen was completely focused on her and Yellow knew instantly that that was not a good thing as the queen abruptly stood from her throne, glaring down at the knight from the dais. 

Blue and Pink both went stock still. 

“Are you questioning my orders, Captain Stone?” The question slid like ice down Yellow’s spine. 

“Not at all your Majesty. It is simply my assessment of the…” 

“I did not ask for your assessment of the situation, captain. If I needed an incompetent view of the situation I would have asked you.” The queen bit out. “I gave you a command and I expect you to have it carried out or I will appoint a knight captain who will. Do I make myself clear?” She looked down at the knight with narrowed eyes.

“Yes, your majesty.” She bowed again. Her face burned with anger and embarrassment. Anger that the queen was putting her children in blatant danger like this and embarrassed that Blue and Pink both had been present for her tongue lashing. 

Without another word to the knight or her daughters the queen turned on heel and left the throne room, guards following her out. 

Blue clenched her fists, now her mother was turning her fits on Yellow and sending them into possible danger. Once the queen had disappeared Yellow stood back up and Blue could see the anger and humiliation on her face. She tried not to let the empathy show on her face. Yellow was very proud and much as she wished to comfort her it would be ill received.

Pink watched her mother’s back till she had disappeared from view, fists clenched tightly at her sides. The more she interacted with her mother as of late, the less she recognized her. She was a familiar looking stranger. 

“I suppose we should go and pack for the trip…” Blue turned to her sister who could only nod. Pink looked just as happy about the situation as she or Yellow. 

The knight carefully avoided their eyes as they left the throne room and it made Blue frown. How badly she wished to walk up to Yellow and hold her, but she couldn’t, not just because of the people around, but Yellow would never allow it. Not so soon after being humiliated. 

With a sigh, she turned her back to the room and quickly made her way to her room to pack a few days worth of provisions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They were made to leave as soon as the younger royals had finished their packing. 

If Yellow had been angry before it was nothing compared to how furious she was when she was informed that she was the only guard accompanying the princess’. The queen couldn’t expend any more man power on this simple visit to the fort when more men were needed to secure the southern border. 

A border that was in no danger at all. 

Yellow felt like she was about to combust.

She alone was being tasked with the safety of the only two heirs to the kingdom in what could instantly turn into hostile, than enemy territory. 

She stood behind the carriage and took deep breaths that were meant to be calming. As soon as Blue and Pink appeared they would go. It would be late in the night before they arrived at the fort. They should have left much earlier as to avoid any traveling at night along roads that could be plagued with bandits and thieves.

She had had her suspicions about the queens mental state when their orders changed by the second on the front. Just a week ago they had been ordered to take captives to use in bargaining for the return of their own captured men and in the next breath were told to execute them all. 

The rebels had retaliated in kind.

Now she was putting her children in needless danger. Yellow wanted to pull her hair out.

Suddenly two servants appeared, each carrying a case, the princess’ trailing behind them. Once the two cases were loaded to the carriage Blue waved them both away.

“That will be all, thank you.” Once they’d gone she turned to Yellow, looking around. “Who else is accompanying us?

“It seems…” Yellow started. “That I will be the only one accompanying the both of you on this trip.” She managed to ground out. Trying to keep appear formal and in control.

Blue’s eyes went wide and Pink looked between them, face twisted in concern. “The queen can not afford to pull any men away from the southern border.” Just saying it out loud to the two made Yellow’s muscles strain and her blood boil. To be told to your face that your mother cared less for your well being than an imaginary threat, for which she had already dedicated three-hundred men. 

Blue bit her lip, watching the protruding vein in the captain’s neck that only ever appeared when she was on the verge of a monumental outburst. She had to be the calm and rational one for the three of them for now. Until Yellow was no longer on the verge of meltdown. 

“I have full confidence in your abilities, captain.” She smiled and laid a hand on Pink’s shoulder, hoping to soothe both Yellow and Pink, who had been jittery herself ever since they had been called into the throne room after their morning meal. 

“You’re to kind...“ Yellow mumbled. “We had best be going…” She held the carriage door open and with a last look at the knight Pink quickly climbed inside.

As she passed Blue reached out, laying quick caress to the knight’s cheek. Her voice barely a whisper. “Don’t worry...” She tried to soothe in the passing moment. It was all they had. 

Yellow turned her head away. Still feeling the morning’s shame mixed with her unspeakable fury at the situation at hand. 

It stung the eldest princess, but she understood. 

Once she’d climbed inside Yellow wasted no time climbing atop the thing and spurring the horses on, she wanted to be out on the road at night as little as possible. 

Inside Blue and Pink sat across from each other on the brightly upholstered seats in silence. The eldest with her hands folded in her lap and a frown pulling at her mouth as she looked out at the passing countryside. Pink studied the older woman intensely.

There was a lot she wanted to talk to Blue about… this trip they were suddenly being sent on, their mother’s growing instability and of course what she had witnessed in the library last night. 

Which had made her start thinking about something else. 

“Blue?” She asked about an hour after they had left. Her sister’s gaze turned to her, waiting for her to go on. There were so many questions burning on the end of her tongue, fighting to be the first to be answered. 

“Do you trust me?” She finally asked at last. This seemed to surprise Blue as her eyes widened.

“Of course I trust you, Pink. Why would you have to ask?” She blinked at the suden question.

Pink turned away, looking at the passing countryside, trying to decide what to say.

“Would you keep secrets from someone you trust?” She asked another question instead of answering her sisters, Blue’s brow furrowed in confusion and worry but she didn’t immediately answer. Pink turned to look at her and saw her looking down at her clasped hands.

“Sometimes, secrets are kept, not because of a lack of trust…” She started, cerulean gaze turning back to Pink. “...but simply for safety… some secrets are more dangerous than others.” 

“Is that why you never told me about you and Yellow?” She finally asked. The shock that suddenly spread across Blue’s face would have been comical if she still wasn't feeling stung that Blue had never told her about her romance with the knight captain.

Blue didn’t know what to say. Pink was looking at her expectantly but words just couldn't form in her suddenly dry mouth. She’d never prepared herself for the younger girl to ever find out. 

“How did you find out?” Blue finally managed to make her tongue move. 

“I saw you both… in the library last night... “ She shrugged. “You’re lovers, aren’t you?” 

“Pink…” Blue started, licking her lips. Trying to bring back the moisture that had so suddenly left her body. She sighed. “Yes” She finally said, going slack in her seat. 

“Why wouldn’t you tell me? You don’t trust me?” Pink leaned forward. Now that Blue had confirmed it for her, her questions were burning in her mind. Blue rubbed her temple, a headache coming on.

“Pink, As I said, it’s not that I don’t trust you, you know I do, but this…” She waved a hand indicating her and Yellow. “... is dangerous. Forget about any punishment I’d receive, Yellow would be put to death!” She surged forward, eyes locked with Pinks as the girl shrank back into her seat. 

She knew that of course. She’d had all the same lessons as Blue growing up and one of the most important had been on who to fraternize with. 

Those vying for their hands had to be of certain backgrounds and lineages. The kind with money or influence and as much as Pink adored the knight captain, she had neither of these things. 

“It wasn’t something we ever planned…we just… fell in love and have been ever since.” Blue explained simply. 

“Since when?” Pink couldn’t help but ask. 

“Five summers, now.” 

“Five?!” She marveled. All that time and she had never had even an inkling of the relationship Blue and Yellow had been having. 

“Rosaline” Pink was suddenly pulled from her thoughts by her sister as she knelt in front of her, hands on her shoulders. “You can’t tell anyone about this, you understand that don’t you?” 

“Yes, of course I understand.” She nodded vigorously. 

“Good” She sagged in relief, before climbing into the seat next to the younger.

After a few minutes of companionable silence it was Blue that broke the quiet. 

“How much did you hear last night?” She asked without looking. Pink looked down at her lap.

“All of it, I suppose.” She shrugged. 

“About mother?” She asked after a long moment.

The girl nodded, face falling and Blue sighed and wrapped an arm round Pink’s shoulders, she leaned heavily into the older, letting Blues arms wrap around her protectively. The subtle orchid scented oil she had been wearing for years helped calm her. 

“Is there nothing we can do for her?” Pink mumbled into her sister’s long hair. Blue squeezed her tighter. 

“I don’t think so…” Blue’s sorrowful voice made Pink close her eyes. “It… will only get worse from here I’m afraid.” She dug her fingers into her sisters curly hair, smoothing the pale locks. 

“I’ve never seen her like that before… the way she acted to Yellow.” She glanced up at Blues face. It was no court secret that Yellow was the queen’s most favored knight. 

“No, and if what the court physician said is true she’ll act that way to us all soon…” 

“What do we do?” Pinks voice was small and quiet. A fourteen year old on the verge of losing their remaining parent. 

“I don’t know yet.” Blue admitted. “We will come up with something.” She promised, leaning them both back to look out at the trees and fields passing by the carriage windows. 

“Is Yellow alright?” Pink asked after a short while, thinking about how strained the knight captain had looked this morning. 

“She’s under a lot of pressure. We should have a group of guards, not a single knight, and don’t tell her that I said this, but she’s still ashamed after this morning.” 

“Ashamed of what?” Pink pushed herself up to look at Blue. “Everything she said was true!” Pink scowled. It made Blue smile to see the girl defend the captain so. 

“I know it was… but Yellow is very proud though, Pink, she hates that you an I were there to witness her humiliation.” 

“She has nothing to be ashamed of...” Pink grumbled. Leaning back into her sister’s embrace. Blue smiled at her.

“No, but she has her pride. So it's simply best if we don’t talk about it in front of her, yes?” She felt Pink nod against her collar.

They stayed that way for a while, watching the sun inch it’s way across the sky. Neither had said anything in quite some time, in truth Blue was sure the younger girl had fallen asleep, so it surprised her when she spoke up out of nowhere. 

“How do you know? That Yellow loves you I mean?” She’d been wondering how her soft sister could fall in love with the stern knight. 

Blue hummed as she thought about how best to answer that question in a way that Pink would understand. 

“She tells me, of course. I know that isn’t what you mean though.” She quickly finished before Pink could interrupt. “It’s hard to describe truthfully. It’s a lot of things.” 

That was of course to vague for Pink.

“Like what, though?” 

Blue rolled her eyes despite the smile on her face. 

“Like… the time we took a basket of food out into the woods and halfway through it started to rain heavily and she gave me her cloak to keep me dry on the ride back, even though she became soaked through and caught cold.” She finally said, shaking her head at the memory even as she smiled 

‘What else?” She prodded with a smile. 

“Every time she passes through the western territories she goes several hours out of her way to get the perfumed oil I love so much. ” 

Pink grinned as she watched her sister's eyes light up and a dreamy far away look came onto her face she recalled these things and wondered if Yellow would have a similar reaction. 

Probably not quite, given how she knew Yellow.

“What about something big?” Pink was having too much fun, listening to her sister and watching her face.

“Something big?” Blue glanced down at her. 

“Yes, some big romantic gesture?” 

“Yellow isn’t the type for large romantic gestures. She shows her love in little ways. The ways that let me know that she was thinking of me. That means more to me than any one grand gesture.” Blue smiled at the girl. She could only hope that one day Pink would experience a love like she had.

It was nearly dark when they finally began to get restless in the carriage. 

“She needs to take a rest.” Blue made a face, looking toward the front of the carriage where Yellow was.

“Does she ever do that?” Pink smirked to herself. It wasn’t exactly a secret that the captain was rather high strung most of the time.

Blue huffed, suppressing a laugh. “She’s been known too, on occasion.” She smiled as she slid one of the small windows at the front of the carriage open. 

“Yellow” She called, making the knight jerk toward her, immediately picking up on the less formal address. “Pull to the roadside.” 

“What? Why, is something wrong?” She glanced at her over her shoulder. 

“You need to take a rest. As do the horses. ” 

Yellow opened her mouth to argue but the look Blue was giving her right now was very clear. 

With a huff she tugged on the reigns, pulling the horses to a stop. Once the carriage had come to a full stop Blue stepped out, followed quickly by Pink who wasted no time moving toward the horses. 

Yellow climbed down, plate armor chinking and clinking together with every movement.

Blue could see that she was no longer fit to burst, the hours on the road had soothed her temper and pride but she still didn’t look happy. 

Blue had a thought and tried to keep the smile from her face as she walked up to the knight who was stretching out her back.

“Yellow…” 

The knight looked at her, blonde brow cocked as she looked between her and Pink standing not to far away. Blue smiled, reaching up and pulling off the gleaming golden helmet only making the knight more confused before Blue was pressing a kiss to her lips.

Pink watched the knights eyes nearly pop out of her head as Blue planted a kiss on her unsuspecting lips. 

She giggled as Yellow took Blue by the shoulders and held her at arm's length, face bright red.

“What are you doing!?” She wasn’t quite yelling but it was certainly panicked. 

“It’s alright.” Blue laughed, stepping closer as Yellow’s grip went slack. ‘She knows…” 

Yellow looked up at her.

“That doesn’t mean I want to watch!” Pink yelled, turning away from the two. 

She could hear them now talking quietly to each other, Blue was no doubt explaining how the younger princess had come upon their most closely guarded secret. 

“Pink will never tell a soul.” Blue assured. Running her hand down one of the knights still warm cheeks. 

“I trust her.” The knight nodded, leaning into Blue’s touch.

“Feeling better?” Blue asked gently, tilting her head. 

“I still don’t like this. It’s dangerous.” She growled, covering Blue’s hand with her own on her face. 

“Yes, but it will be alright,darling. We’ll spend the two days rousing the troops and return to the capital. It will be quick. So please, relax a little, for me?” Blue wheedled, leaning in close, their noses almost touching. 

“I will… try.” Yellow mumbled. 

“That is all I ask.” She pecked the knights lips again. 

Once everyone had sufficiently stretched their legs they were back on the road to the fort. 

It was a few more hours before the carriage again began to roll to a stop. 

“Were here.” Blue said nudging her half asleep sister. 

“Huh?” She grumbled, trying to sit herself up. 

The carriage door opened and Blue quickly made herself presentable before stepping out, Pink hurrying to bring herself to full wakedness behind her. 

It was dark but the many torches and fires lit inside the fort lit it up enough that the two royals could make out the high stone walls and the many soldiers gathered around the fires, eating or talking and more still laying injured and bandaged on the ground making quiet noises of pain.

Pink looked at all the injured men, their white linen bandages stained a muddy color. Some missing arms, legs or eyes.

Some looked like they had fallen into campfires. Their skin was black and charred, crackled like burnt out firewood.

Blue looked at them sorrowfully, hands clasped tightly at her waist, carefully hiding the pity she felt at the sight of the mutilated soldiers. 

Pink was more open in her horror, eyes wide and jaw hanging ajar as she looked at the wounded.

Yellow for her part just breathed heavily through her nose. 

“Welcome to Fort Luna.” She grumbled under her breath to the two princess’.


	6. Fire and Blood

The morning sun spilling over Fort Luna did not improve it’s appeal to the two royals as they walked around the parapets followed closely by a silent Yellow. The sunlight better illuminated the many injured and dying laid out across the dirt on the forts ground level.

Many groaned in pain, clutching their wounds, or to weak to move. Some had stopped moving at all over the course of the night. There were always several men assigned to digging graves at any time. 

If the view inside the walls had been appalling, the eastern view outside the walls was horrid. 

For nearly as far as they could see the ground outside the fort, moving into the former kingdom of Aarde was blackened by the weaponized use of fire to clear any possible cover for those approaching the fort. Deep trenches marred the earth, lined by spiked wooden barricades, many of which, much to the two royals nausea, had bodies skewered upon them in various states of decay. Crows were perched on nearly every surface fighting over the scraps and inspecting the many shiny silver armor pieces skewered across the field, some marked with the diamond symbol of Drysor and others with the cross in a circle of Aarde. 

Blue frowned heavily at the sight before them. She had of course heard all about war, heard stories straight from Yellow and other soldiers but seeing it with her own eyes was a horror all its own. 

“This is awful…” Pink found her voice as she leaned over the stone wall, looking at the devastation both sides had been inflicting on each other. Blue laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“This is what war looks like.” Yellow finally spoke for the first time that morning since they began touring the fort and talking to the many soldiers milling about. 

“It needs to stop…” Pink turned around and leveled the knight with a serious look. Yellow glanced at Blue before turning her gaze back to Pink. 

“It won’t stop until we’ve won. The queen has been very clear about that.” Yellow frowned, looking out over the field herself. It hadn’t changed much since she’d left five days prior, there were perhaps a few more laying among the dead, as there always were. 

“How long will that take?” She rounded on the knight. “We’ve barely been able to hold this fort, much less take back control of the whole territory!” She stomped a foot.

“Rosaline! Keep your voice down.” Blue scolded her. Glad that the three of them were alone on the parapets. “We know that… but it’s more complicated than that, we have already invested so much into fighting this rebellion. To pull back now would be as though were were throwing away the lives of those who have already died. It may also incite other territories to rebel, or worse yet, attack the empire.”

“Pulling back would save the lives of those who haven’t yet died.” Pink argued before turning to Yellow. “You’re the experienced soldier, what do you think Yellow?” 

Yellow looked at them both and sighed heavily out her nose. 

“You are both right, which is what makes this situation all the more difficult. If we pull back and let Aarde go it will show weakness, inviting more rebellion in other parts of the empire, perhaps even direct attacks on the capital, but if we keep fighting over this one border the cost will only grow.” She crossed her arms over an armored chest. “That being said, if we had the full might of the empire’s forces it would have been over months ago.”

“Than why aren’t we doing that?” Pink flung out her arms, aggravated by the new information.

Yellow scowled, the wrinkles in her brow deepening into trenches between her eyes but her voice come out nearly a whisper. 

“Because the queen has sent them all to the southern border in a paranoid fear that they’re going to attack us.” She bit out and Pink deflated, picking up on Yellow’s subtle way of saying that the worsening state of the empire was because of her mother’s worsening mental state. 

She glanced back at the dead and burnt expanse of what once must have been a beautiful field and was inclined to agree.

“Is it safe here, Yellow?” Blue turned to the knight who was now staring out at the horizon line. 

“The commander said there hasn’t been an attack since I left and the scouts didn’t see anything when they were out yesterday. I think we came at the perfect time, or as good a time as ever...” That being said the knight held up a spyglass, pointed out at the horizon, looking for what neither princess knew.

“Can I look?” Pink asked when Yellow lowered the glass, seeming satisfied with whatever she had or hadn’t seen. She glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye before silently handing it over.

Pink looked through the glass at the charred earth far beyond her normal sight. There were a few abandoned camps and few destroyed catapults, but not a soul in sight. 

“I think we could make the most of this trip by visiting with the wounded.” Blue suggested, looking at Yellow who nodded. 

“I think they would like that, some of them aren’t long for this world.” She stated grimly. 

“Pink, shall we?” She turned to her sister as she lowered the spyglass. 

“Yes” She nodded, handing the tool back to Yellow as they walked back to the stairs that lead down to the forts ground level. 

Soldiers scraped and bowed as they passed, calling out reverent greetings to the sisters. Blue smiled and waved, trying to do as the queen had asked and instill some morale in the tired and weary soldiers. They seemed to be seemed to be in sore need of it. 

If anything, the queen did seem to be right about that. Men jumped to their feet, and swooned when the heir apparent graced them with a soft smile and others still admired the bouncy cheerful attitude the younger princess exuded as she laughed or smiled at something the men would say.

It was all Yellow could do to keep from rolling her eyes at the men whose tongues practically lolled out of their heads when Blue tuned her gaze on them and smiled. 

They found themselves standing alone for a moment after a knight had walked off, smiling ear to ear after Blue had graced him with a few kind words.

Yellow rolled her eyes.

“If you roll your eyes any harder their going to fall out of your head, captain.” Blue smirked, glancing sidelong at her. Yellow huffed.

“Good, then I won’t have to watch them trip all over themselves every time you glance in their direction.” She retorted. Her attention was immediately drawn back to Blue when she giggled quietly, hand covering her mouth. 

“You’re not becoming the envious type, are you, captain?” She smiled at the knight, looking at her out of the corner of her eye.

“Don’t be ridiculous…” Yellow sniffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. 

“Don’t be cross, love.” Her voice was barely even a whisper. 

“I’m not. Nor do I have any reason to be envious.” She turned her head, refusing to look at the other woman.

Blue smiled to herself at her ridiculous knight. 

“Of course you don’t.” She nodded in agreement. “You know very well that it’s you who holds my heart.” She said under her breath so only the knight would hear and she knew she had when her shoulders seemed to untense just a bit. 

Pink watched Yellow and Blue converse quietly to themselves from several yards away. To anyone else it looked as though they were having a perfectly a perfectly formal discussion, perhaps about the state of the fort or the ongoing rebellion but Pink knew better now.

She knew that when Blue’s eyes lit up like that, it was because she was thinking less than formal things about the knight. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at them and wonder how she had ever missed all the signs before. 

They two royals spent the day visiting with the wounded, those most grievously wounded first and no less than two times after they had moved on to other men did the ones the had been with earlier cease all movement. 

Pink was moved to tears by some of the soldiers conditions and those who were able to still move and speak waved away her tears, claiming how proud they were to fight for the empire, the queen and her. 

A sentiment that only made the tears fall harder, knowing that she hadn’t had the slightest inkling as to the kinds of suffering going on at the front line and that her mother, their glorious queen saw all their lives as expendable, so long as the rebellion was put down.

Once night had fallen, Yellow escorted both of them back to the room that had been set up for the two of them, all while the commander apologized for its lack of finery as they hadn’t been notified that they would be coming.

Blue easily calmed him, telling him all was fine.

It was of course a little rough, but it had two beds and their things had been carefully set to the side.

“Where are you going to sleep?” Pink asked Yellow as she sat on the bed. 

“I stay in the barracks with the other soldiers.” 

“You could stay here, I don’t mind… so long as you’re _only_ sleeping of course.” She grinned cheekily watching Yellow and Blue both turn bright red. 

“You…” She started, scowling. 

“Pink’s jest aside, I would feel better if you stayed here with us tonight…” Blue looked up at the knight from her bed. 

“If that’s what you want.” She easily agreed, pulling off her helmet and plopping next to Blue on the bed.

Truthfully she also didn’t want to leave the two unguarded. 

“Are you alright?” Blue asked, running a hand through her hair. 

“Fine as I have been all day.” She sighed, letting Blue coddle her. 

“So, not fine?” Pink crossed her legs and sat in the middle of the bed looking at them quizzically. 

“I’ve been worse.” The knight grumbled, rubbing a hand across her face. Blue smiled sympathetically and leaned on her shoulder. 

“You worry too much.” Blue took one of Yellows hands in hers. “You promised me that you would to relax.” 

“I said I would try…” She squeezed Blue’s hand back regardless. “I just feel uneasy…” She mumbled. 

“Everything about this place makes feel uneasy.” Pink agreed, frowning.

“It has seen much bloodshed.” Blue agreed. 

“You should both rest.” Yellow suggested glancing at them. 

“What about you?” Pink looked at her. Yellow’s eyes sagged heavily with exhaustion. 

“I am resting.” Yellow said, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed over her chest and by the look of it Blue knew she’d never be able to get the blonde out of her armor so long as they were here.

“You don’t look like you’re resting…” She frowned.

“Leave her be, Pink.” Blue waved before changing into her own night attire. 

“Don’t look.” Pink said turning to Yellow who turned bright red with anger. 

“You can not be serious!?” She hissed. Pink just giggled.

“Of course she isn’t, love. Relax.” She soothed before turning her gaze to Pink. “Enough” The tone brooked no argument and Pink just ducked her head before quickly changing and climbing beneath the blankets. 

Blue slid into bed, next to the knight sitting up above the blankets. 

Blue reached out and took hold of one of her gloved hands. Yellow pulled her hand to her mouth and laid a kiss on her knuckles as they drifted off to sleep.

~

At the morning meal the two royals were introduced to the flavorless slop that was served to all the soldiers for every meal. 

Blue did her best to keep a straight face as she spooned the mushy flavorless grains into her mouth. 

“How can it taste like nothing and still be so bad?” Pink asked, looking down into her bowl with a sad and confused look. Blue nudged her, glancing around at all the soldiers sitting around them, eating the same slop.

“Rosaline…” She scolded, but was making a face as she looked back into her own bowl. They glanced up at Yellow on the other side of the long table, who was spooning the food into her mouth with nary a twitch. 

Feeling their eyes on her she looked up, spoon halfway to her mouth. 

“What?” She glanced between the two of them. 

“How can you eat this?” Pink hissed. 

Yellow glanced back down at the gray mush and shrugged before spooning another bite into her mouth.

“It’s food” she said after swallowing. 

Pink suddenly remembered that Yellow had grown up very poor and hungry. She’d never really seen the knight turn down food now that she thought about it. 

With that in mind and looking around at all the soldiers around her eating the same thing, the youngest Princess was again reminded of her privilege and squared her shoulders before digging into the bowl with a gusto that tried to wither and die as soon as the food hit her tongue but she continued to eat till the bowl sat empty. 

Blue ate hers, though with less forced zest than Pink.

When they had finished the two made the rounds again through the injured and dying soldiers, offering what comfort they could. Yellow watched from a distance.

When the sun was directly overhead Blue made the three of them leave the fort for some fresh air. 

Yellow followed behind dutifully as they roamed the field on the fort’s western side, the side that was securely part of the empire, for the moment. 

Pink sat on the ground. fingering the petals of the wild flowers that filled the field. 

Yellow leaned her back against a tree, arms folded over her chest, letting the large leaves shield her from the sun. Blue stood at her side, the tree blocking them from view of the fort. 

“You seem a little less tense today.” The eldest princess observed as she watched Yellow’s face.

“I suppose…” She shrugged. Blue wrapped her arm through Yellows and leaned up to press a kiss to the knights cheek. Her lips twitched into a smile. 

Pink observed the interaction from several feet away among the flowers. It was still such a str aange thing to witness. It was nice to see the two of them so outwardly happy though. 

They stayed there for a while longer before Yellow decided they should return to the safety of the fort. 

The evening meal was more the same as the morning, grayed, flavorless gruel fit only to give them energy, not enjoyment. 

The forts commander sat across from the three of them, chatting happily to Yellow about the plans for a push into rebel held territory and ensuring both Princess’ that the queen could rest easy knowing that they had the fort under full control. Blue smiled politely and nodded in the right places. 

A young man came running up to the table and leaned down to whisper something into the commander’s ear. He frowned heavily and waved the boy off with a nod.

“What is it?” Yellow asked, seeing the look on the man’s face.

“Hmm? Oh, nothing. The scout I sent out this morning hasn’t returned yet, but that happens sometimes. They hide out in the woods so they don’t have to return to their duties.” He grunted.

Yellow’s eyes narrowed.

Blue could see the wheels spinning rapidly in the knights head. Subtly she reached beneath the table and laid a hand on her knee, making her jolt but to her credit she didn’t look at her. She only nodded to what the commander had said but Blue could tell she was now on edge. 

“Commander…” Blue started drawing his and Yellow’s attention to her as she stood. “I hope you’ll excuse us but my sister and I must begin preparing for the trip back tomorrow.” 

The commander jumped up, bowing.

“Of course, your Highness.” 

Yellow took the hint and rose to follow the two as they left the mess hall. 

It was only once they were back in the privacy of their temporary room that Blue turned on Yellow.

“Relax…” She said sternly. 

“I am relaxed.” Yellow hissed, brows furrowed deeply between her eyes in a way that did not say ‘relaxed’. 

“No, the moment the commander said that a scout hadn’t returned you turned into a piece of stone.” 

“It IS troubling.” Yellow defended herself.

“He said it happens sometimes. So until something bad actually happens, just relax, darling.” She reached up and rubbed her thumb along a sharp cheekbone.

“I’m trying, Blue.” She breathed. 

“I know you are… we have an early start ahead of us in the morning, why don’t we just get some sleep.” She suggested. “I already had the carriage prepared and waiting for us.”

“Yes, alright.” The knight nodded tiredly, plopping on the bed, again staying in her armor. Blue rolled her eyes but took her victory’s where she could get them. 

They quickly changed into their night wear. 

Pink was half asleep by the time her head hit the pillow.

Blue curled as close to Yellow as the relatively light metal armor would allow.

Yellow wrapped an arm around her nonetheless.

“Try to sleep…” Blue breathed against her.

“I will…” Yellow promised. Closing her eyes and trying to will her body into a state of rest.

Eventually it came. 

~

Blue woke with a jolt. 

Yellow was climbing off the bed and moving quickly toward the door, pulling on her helmet. All the noise produced by her armor had Pink raising her head off the pillows. 

“Huh..wha..?” She slurred, eyes half closed. 

“Yellow, what is it?” Blue's sleep thick voice managed as she sat up.

“Something’s going on. Stay here.” She ordered and disappeared out the door. Blue and Pink only looked at each other before jumping out of bed and changing out of their sleepwear. 

There were faint sounds coming through the stone but not enough to give the sisters any indication of what was going on above them. The stone was simply to thick.

“I need to see.” Pink said, shooting past Blue and out the door.

“Rosaline!” Blue followed quickly, hoping to catch her before she reached the top of the stairs. 

Pink managed to get to the door just before Blue caught up to her. It swung open to reveal a world of fire.

The fort was ablaze and the sounds of metal clashing against metal was deafening. 

It quickly became apparent that the rebel forces were attacking the base as armor plated soldiers bearing the circle and cross symbol of Aarde poured through the flaming gates on the forts eastern side. 

Men were falling dead in the dirt as they were skewered on the ends of swords and pikes and the fire was only rising higher as it swept through the fort, setting provisions and equipment ablaze.

Soldiers caught in the flames screamed as the two royals could only look on in horror at the battle unfolding in front of them. 

“I told you both to stay there!” Yellow was suddenly next to them in the chaos, sword drawn and stained with blood. She was again yelling over the den before either of them could say anything. “We need to leave, now! Stay close!”

They followed closely behind her toward where the carriage was being kept.

Drysor soldiers were covering their retreat, pouring out of the barracks in varying states of undress or half strapped on armor, and moving to cut off the entry point that had been burned into the forts eastern gate to try and cut off the flow of enemies pouring in. 

Debris flew through the air as the rebels catapulted flaming barrels full of grain alcohol and large rocks over the forts stone walls. They exploded as they hit the ground, spraying flames and chunks of wood in every direction.

The flaming liquid coated the ground around them. The two adults were quick enough to sidestep the fires but Pink was not, her foot caught on some of the bits of broken, flaming wood. She tumbled to the ground, only just managing to catch herself, hands landing right in a puddle of flames. Her scream made Yellow and Blue stop to see the girl, her hands and lower forearms coated in the blazing fluid as she flailed in a panic.

“Rosaline!” Blue screamed.

Yellow dashed forward, grabbing the panicked girl and pulling her to the ground, quickly smothering the flames with dirt while Pink wailed in agony.

Once the flames had been snuffed out Yellow pulled her back to her feet and threw the younger Princess over her shoulder as she continued to cry. Blue followed closely, skirts pulled up near to her chest to keep them out of the many flickering flames.

A soldier with a crossbow fell from the parapets as a rock flew over the wall, cracking open his skull. He fell with a loud crash as he hit the ground not five feet away from them. 

The fighting only continued around them as they reached the carriage. Blue ripped open the door and Yellow quickly set Pink inside, Blue climbing in after. Yellow slammed the door shut and hauled herself up into the driver’s seat, spurring the horses into action, hooves kicking up dirt and embers 

Seeing the approaching carriage the gate guard dropped the gate, only barely making it down in time before the speeding horses flew across and out of the flaming fort. 

Yellow never slowed as they raced away from the sudden battlefield. 

The rising flames and smoke lit the sky for miles around. 

Yellow did not pull the carriage over till they were far away from Fort Luna. She jumped down, taking the carriage lantern with her. She opened the carriage door and climbed inside.

Blue was sitting on the floor with a quietly sobbing Pink curled up in her lap. 

“How bad is it?” Yellow asked quietly, moving next to them. The light illuminated the space around them. Blue pursed her lips and glanced down. Yellow followed her eyes to see the younger Princess' curled up hands were raw and bloody. 

“It’s not good, but it could have been so much worse.” Yellow mumbled quietly to Blue. 

“It...hurts...” Pink hiccupped as more tears fell down her flushed cheeks. 

“I know it does...” Yellow frowned. “But you will have to bear it until we get back to the capital.” 

Pink choked back another wave of tears but nodded.Yellow reached out and laid a hand gently on her head. Well aware of the brave face the girl was trying to put up. 

Yellow and Blue shared a look before the knight climbed back out, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Anguish for Pink and fury at the queen were welling up in her throat so thick they were choking her as she spurred the horses back onto the road. Riding through the night

~ ~ ~

It was mid morning by the time they made it back to the palace. 

When Yellow opened the door Pink was asleep, curled up in Blue’s lap as the elder slowly stroked her head. Blue looked up, tired eyes looking up at her. 

“We’ve arrived?” Blue asked quietly and the knight nodded. 

“Wake up, Rosaline.” Blue nudged her gently. Slowly the younger princess stirred, opening her tired and puffy eyes. 

Blue helped her slowly sit up, she winced every time she had to move her arms. In the light of day Yellow could clearly see the burns that littered both sides of her palms and a quarter of the way up her forearms. 

The blood had dried, leaving splotchy and flaking maroon patches across her raw skin. 

“Take her to the physician.” Blue said, surprising the knight. “I must go talk with mother…” She started, but Yellow was shaking her head,

“The queen can wait, we will both take her and worry about the queen later. I doubt anything we say at this moment would make any difference…"

Blue nodded, but the frown on her face made it clear that nothing about the situation made her happy. 

“Can you walk?” Yellow turned to Pink. 

“Yes…” Her voice was thick and gravelly from the screaming and crying. 

They led her to the infirmary where the physician immediately began treating her wounds.

“We need to remove the old burnt skin, to prevent any infection from setting in...” The elderly, bearded man looked at Pink, than Blue, who nodded sadly. His assistants set out a coarse cloth, water and bandages. He took a breath.

“Captain?” He turned toward Yellow. “Can you help hold her?” 

Yellow’s jaw clenched but she nodded, wrapping her arms around Pink’s waist and the two assistants took hold of her left arm, holding it out. She could feel the girl shaking in her arms and closed her eyes, silently asking for Pink’s forgiveness. 

Without delay he wet the cloth and began vigorously scrubbing the burned skin from Pink’s arms.

Her screams echoed down the halls making servants stop to listen to the wails of agony. Blue choked back her own tears as Pink cried out.

An excruciating two hours later Pink lay in Blue’s arms on her bed, her arms cleaned and a salve with healing and numbing properties was applied before being bandaged. 

The royal physician was fully confident that her hands would recover nicely, though she would always have scars. She was to come back every night to have the salve reapplied and new bandages put on. 

Yellow laid back in a chair at the girl’s bedside, head lolled back as exhaustion took her full force. She was so tired. 

Cool fingers wrapped around her bare hand and it took all the strength she had left to turn and look. Blue was on her left side, curled around pink, her left arm curled under the girl and running her fingers through her curly hair, damp from sweat. Her right arm stretched out to hold Yellow’s dangling hand. 

Her eyes were full of anguish for the girl in arms and a bone deep exhaustion that Yellow’s face no doubt mirrored back.

She gave the hand a tight squeeze. Silently reassuring that she wasn’t going anywhere. 

She glanced over at the windows, the curtains drawn so that only a sliver of light was peaking through, falling across the floor.

Slowly the knights eyes drooped shut and she was out, hand still held tight to Blue’s.

~ ~

It took two days for what happened to reach the attention of the queen.

Yellow was surprised it didn’t take longer given how reclusive the queen had been the last few months.

She was summoned to the throne room early in the afternoon by a royal runner as she stood in the stable. 

The walk to the throne room felt like it took much longer than normal.

Upon entering she could see the queen seated upon the throne, Blue and Pink both on her right.

Yellow inhaled deeply and silently as she bowed.

"Your Majesty, your Highness'." She greeted.

Winea Diamond's gaze was sharp and focussed, but not in a way Yellow could ever remember seeing before. 

Dread began to pool in Yellow's gut. 

"Captain Stone." The queen began, her long immaculate nails clicked on the throne's armrest. "I do not tolerate failure." She enunciated every syllable sharply. "...and you, have failed!" She slammed her hands on the armrest, propelling herself to stand. Her pale gray eyes burned into Yellow with dreadful intensity.

Blue and Pink jumped at the outburst, both girls looking at their mother as though they had never seen her before.

"In the span of a single night you not only allowed your betters to be hurt, but lost ground at Fort Luna to the rebel traitors!" She glared at Yellow from the dais.

Seeming to suddenly calm, the queen lowered herself slowly back into her seat.

"I should have you hung for this." 

"Mother!" Blue and Pink both nearly tripped over each other in their rush to draw the queen's attention.

"The attack on the fort was not the captain's fault…" Blue began, drawing her mother's attention. "The losses at Fort Luna were unfortunate, but we will recover, as we have before." She assured.

"And getting hurt was my own fault!" Pink jumped in as soon as Blue stopped talking.

"I didn't listen to her." She said, looking down at her bandaged hands. They still hurt terribly if she tried to move her fingers but they no longer throbbed with every beat of her heart.

The queen looked between the two before her gaze slid back to the silent knight captain.

"Captain Stone has been a most loyal and dedicated knight for years…" Blue pushed. Her palms were sweating as her mother's eyes stared in her own, eyes that were so familiar once, and yet so strange now.

The queens nails tapped out a staccato rhythm against the white marble of her throne as everyone else waited on baited breath.

"Very well…" she finally acquiesced and Yellow released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "In light of your many faithful years of service to the crown I will forgive this failure… but there must still be a minor punishment." Her eyes lowered back to the knight. 

Pink was already sighing in relief but the look in the queen's eyes made Blue and Yellow tense.

"Fifteen lashes…" 

Pink gasped and turned to the queen, mouth opened to argue. Blue was quick to grab the girl by the shoulders, silencing her before she could start. Her fingers dug tightly in her, a silent command. 

She could see that Yellow would not be walking away from this unscathed and further arguing could only make it worse. Looking at the stony, resolute face of her lover she knew that Yellow knew this too. 

The queen turned to a royal guard and nodded. He disappeared as guards moved to the knights side, but she only stood taller. 

"I know the way…" she said, head held high and turned, the guards following her as they made their way out into the courtyard. 

"Come along…" the queen said absentmindedly to them as she followed, not even looking in their direction. Pink looked up at her sister desperately, but one look at the anguish on her face told her that there was nothing to be done now. 

At the courtyards center was a stone pillar with intricately carved diamonds, part decoration, part instrument of punishment. 

Blue felt nauseous at what was coming as they took the knights jerkin from her and then tied a rope around one wrist and wrapped it around the pillar before securing it to her other wrist and tightening it till she was flush to the stone.

The white tunic was hiked up over her shoulders, exposing the bare skin of her back. 

The guard that had disappeared before reappeared. A whip clutched in his fist. 

Yellow took a shaky breath, and shuffled her feet, muscles tense, refusing to look in the three diamond’s direction. She couldn;t bear to look at Blue or Pink. 

The guard looked at the queen who gave a tilt of her head and he drew back his arm.

The whip snapped through the air and Yellow’s world was awash in bright searing pain. Her arms strained against the ropes, making them creak, but she made no sound. 

Blue flinched when the first strike made contact with Yellows back, leaving a long streak across her shoulder blades that was beginning to seep blood. But she wouldn’t look away. She couldn’t help but feel responsible for this. If she had just done something about her mother sooner. Spoken up when told they were going to the front. 

Something.

The whip cracked again and the knight grunted, jaw clenched as the fire seared across her back. Three more blows followed. The knight captain getting louder after each one as the whip passed over already flayed skin and droplets of blood splattered to the ground. 

Blue’s hands were knotted into her skirts, pulling anxiously at the material as tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes. It took a monumental effort to hold them back, she had to stay strong for Pink and herself. 

Pink bit her lip, trying not to make any noises. She too couldn’t bring herself to look away from the terrible sight in front of her but could feel her sister’s anguished presence behind her. 

Three more lashes and finally the knight cried out in pain. All the muscles in her upper body visible through the skin, pulled tight as she strained against her bonds. 

The tears began to drip down Blues face like as many drops of blood now splattered across the dirt. 

Two more lashes and the knight dropped to her knees. The cry of agony that escaped her throat tore at both princess’. Pink choked back a sob and Blue was only just managing to keep herself held together. Her white-knuckled grip on her skirts threatened to tear them. 

Beside them the queen stood unaffected, almost bored, looking off into the distance. The far away look had returned to her eyes. 

Four more lashes carried on the same way, Yellow’s pained cries growing with each pass of the leather on her skin and sending drops of blood across the stone surface. Her back was a mess of blood and Pink had finally taken all she could and turned to bury her face into her sister’s chest, crying silently into the dress’ sapphire material, wetting it with her tears. 

Blood now stained the area around the pillar and the once white tunic had turned crimson. 

Blue’s heart clenched tightly in her chest when she realized that the quiet crying she was hearing was not coming from Pink… but from Yellow. Her body shook and she shut her eyes tightly, finally unable to bear it for another second. A tightly repressed sob rocked her body and it took everything she had to shove it down. She would not break in front of her mother or the guards. 

The final strike landed, lacerating the already torn and mutilated flesh one last time. 

The queen nodded and the bloodied knight was cut loose. She dropped to the ground like a rock and laid still and silent except for the quiet crying and sounds of pain. 

“All is forgiven, captain.” With that, the queen turned on heel and left without so much as a second glance to anyone, disappearing back inside the palace. 

Blue pried her hands from the cloth and rounded on the closest guard.

“Take her to her room, carefully!” She ordered. Several guards quickly gathered up the captain and carried her off. 

Blue pushed Pink gently to arms length and looked at her tear stained face.

“Rosaline… go... get the physician and tell him to come to Yellow’s room, alright?” She managed to choke out as the cries she had been trying to suppress were now pushing to the front. 

Pink nodded mutely, tears still sliding down her cheeks as she turned and took off running back inside.

Blue hurried after the guards and when they arrived at Yellow’s room she directed them in carefully laying her stomach down in her bed and then sending them away.

Blue dropped to her knees reaching out carefully to touch the side of Yellow’s head. 

The proud knight whimpered, tears still sliding down her face.

“Oh...Oh my love...I am..so sorry…” She choked on the words as she carefully cradled Yellow’s head in her hands and began to weep.

One of those amber eyes slid open to look at her and her mouth twitched as if to say something.

“Don’t say anything, Aurelia… save your strength.” She wiped at the wet tracks on the knights face even as they continued to fall unhindered down her own.

She knew Yellow wouldn’t want anyone else to see her crying and the physician would be here soon. 

She leaned in, pressing her face to Yellow’s. Mindful not to touch her back. 

“I am so sorry…” She breathed as her own tears continued to fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being real long but not quite long enough to split into two chapters...


	7. Bandages and Roses

It was another beautiful day in the Drysor empire. 

Anywhere in the empire except in the palace.

It had been four days since the knight captain’s public lashing, which many of the palace staff had bore witness too, including the captain’s own men. 

Morale had been low and the air around the palace thick and gloomy ever since, not just because of the knight captain but because the ever cheerful princess Rosaline and compassionate Azurine had also been dour ever since.

It was only the day after that an entire platoon of men were conscripted from the town and sent to the front to great public outcry. 

The front had shifted again, pushing past Fort Luna to the east and putting it firmly back in control of the empire again.

For now.

Despite not having left the palace in four days Blue knew everything that was going on. She had sent out her own ears and eyes to keep careful watch over everything happening with the rebellion… and with her mother. Who had taken to wandering the halls at night, according to the servants. She and Pink now slept with their doors tightly latched. 

Said princess walked up the palace stairs to the second floor, a tray laden with the usual breakfast fair held in both her hands. She balanced the tray on one hand and pushed open Yellow’s door. The room was dark, the sun, blocked out by the heavy curtains drawn tightly closed over them. 

Blue nudged the door closed with her hip and walked quietly through the dark room, setting the tray gently on the bedside table before going to open the curtains. With a flourish the curtains opened, letting the fresh sunlight spill across the walls and floor, casting the room in it’s warm glow.

From her position face down in the bed, Yellow grumbled. 

“Good morning, to you as well.” She said, walking up to the bed and glancing at the bandages wrapped around Yellow’s torso before she settled herself onto her knees, eye level with the bed.

With a slight turn of her head one amber colored eye appeared from where it had been buried in the pillow. 

“How are you feeling today?” She asked, reaching out to run her fingers through the mussed blonde hair. “Did you sleep alright?” 

Yellow grunted an affirmative. Her eye closing again under Blue’s gentle ministrations. 

“I brought you something to eat, are you hungry?” 

“Yes…” Her voice was still thick with sleep and muffled by the pillow. Blue smiled, glad life seemed to be returning to Yellow. She had refused all food and drink the first two days. She had very nearly shoved some down her throat in desperation the day before. She carefully and slowly helped her sit up. Yellow hissed with every movement till she was sitting up with her feet hanging off the bed.

“The physician should be in soon to change your bandages.” She said as she set the tray in Yellow’s lap. 

Yellow gave a tired nod as she slowly brought food to her mouth. It seemed every movement pained her and it tore at Blue’s heart. 

“How’s Rosaline?” Yellow questioned after swallowing her first bite. 

“Better. She’s starting to be able to move her fingers again.” She paused and Yellow looked up at her. “She’d very much like to come see you.”

Yellow’s eyes fell back to the tray in her lap.

“You know I don’t want her to see me like this, Azurine. I don’t even want you to see me…” She turned away. 

Gentle but firm fingers on her chin made her look up at the stony face of the eldest princess.

“Nothing will keep me from you, Aurelia.” It was a promise more than anything. A statement of absolute fact. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, my love. This is my fault…” Blue released her, frowning. 

“What?” Yellow blinked, trying to understand her companion’s train of thought. Blue turned away.

“When my mother began acting unusual I should have done something. Now the empire is caught in a bloody rebellion and worse still you and Rosaline are suffering for my inaction…If I had acted, I could have saved my people from this, saved you both from this.” Tears were gathering in her eyes

Rough fingers smoothed over her cheek and cerulean eyes shot open to look at Yellow. The effort of holding up her arm obviously pained her and Blue took hold of it, holding it to her face, the muscles sagged with relief. 

“No one could have foreseen this, Blue...” She soothed and Blue sniffed. A small smile pulled at Blue’s lips and she looked up at Yellow beneath her wet lashes. 

The knight’s raised brows, a silent indicator of her question.

“Here it is, you’re the injured one, but you’re comforting me…” She half laughed half choked. 

“As I always will.” Yellow smiled tiredly at her, caressing her cheek with a calloused thumb.

With a watery smile she turned to lay a kiss on the rough palm 

“Will you let Pink come? No matter how I assure her, she won’t believe it till she’s seen you herself.” She mumbled against the skin. Yellow sighed.

“I suppose.” She agreed before pulling back her hand to continue eating. Blue watched her with a serene smile.

“I’m going to do something…” Blue finally said quietly after a few minutes, prompting a curious look from Yellow. “About mother...It’s time I acted. She’s become a danger to the empire and to us…” She explained and Yellow looked more than alarmed.

“Blue…” She started unsure. “We both know that I will stand by you, but I am… useless right now.” She hissed.

Blue could tell it hurt her just to say it.

“You can’t fight, but you are never useless, darling, besides, I haven’t yet decided what course of action I need to take, regardless.” She calmed the knight, some of the panic going from her face at that. “But I must act...She’s become unpredictable and grows more violent by the day.” Blue sighed.

“Has something happened?” 

“A group of rebel prisoners were brought in from the front last night, they are set to be burned alive today.” She scowled. 

“Meaning the rebels will answer in kind with our captured soldiers…” Yellow sighed, gaze dropping to the floor. 

“Things have become a mess…” Blue shook her head. 

“Things have been a mess… they’re just getting worse as your mother’s condition worsens.” Yellow said around a mouthful of bread. Blue couldn’t find it in her to disagree.

“I will fix this…” Blue promised, watching the knight flinch with certain movements. 

“You will.” Yellow stated. A fact without doubt. Blue smiled. 

They sat in comfortable silence while Yellow ate.

No sooner had she finished a knock sounded on the door. Blue stood up, smoothing out her skirts and standing a respectable distance away.

“Come in.” Yellow called. 

The royal physician poked his head through and smiled upon seeing the knight sitting up. He bowed to Blue. 

“A good morning to you, your Highness and to you captain. It’s time to change your bandages.” He stepped inside, the necessary supplies under one arm. Yellow nodded.

“I will leave you to it. I’ll go let Rosaline know of what we talked about, captain.” Blue said as she moved around the man to the door. Yellow nodded.

Blue quietly shut the door behind her as she walked out in the hall. The fact that both Pink and Yellow seemed to be on the mend lifted some of the weight from her shoulders.

They we're both so resilient. 

she smiled to herself as she walked up the steps to the third floor where Pink's and her own room where located.

she was so engrossed in her thoughts but she did not notice the person coming toward her down the hall.

"Azurine" 

Blue stopped cold suddenly noticing her mother standing in front of her in the hall and immediately began to try and determine how lucid the queen was.

"Mother…"Blue had to force herself to curtsy in the queen's presence.

"How are you today?" The queen questioned and it gave Blue pause. For the first time in days the queen's eyes seemed clear, at least for now. 

"Fine... I was just on my way to speak with Rosaline…" she said warily. Unsure how to proceed, she didn’t know what might set of a change in the monarch. 

"Ah, of course. I won't keep you, I was wondering if you had seen Captain Stone?" She inquired. Blue jolted, looking at her mother with wide blue eyes. Was this a sick jape? Looking into her mother’s eyes, she decided that no, it wasn’t. Her mother did not remember ordering the knight to lashings. 

“Captain Stone is in bed, healing from her wounds…” The words came out sharp and cold.

“Wounds?” The queen tilted her head, looking concerned and a deep coldness settled over Blue, turning her insides to ice.

“Yes, from the lashing’s you ordered four days ago…” It took all she had not to ground those words out between her teeth. The queen seemed surprised by this news before a slow understanding seemed to crawl upon her face.

“Oh… yes… I suppose I did…” The queen was looking off into the distance again, seemingly lost. “I suppose I’ll send the garrison commander…” She seemed to be talking more to herself now as she began to wander away without a second glance at her elder daughter. 

A blinding fury rose up in Blue, that her mother could have Yellow publicly lashed and than forget it had ever happened. 

Her fists clenched into her skirts and she jerked when her fingers brushed the handle of the dagger strapped to her thigh. 

Blue jolted up straight as her fingers slipped through the small, purposeful slit in her dress and let her fingers wrap around the onyx handle. 

They were alone in the hall.

The queen's back turned to her only a few feet away, unsuspecting.

It would be so quick. 

Her fingers clenched tightly around the handle before she let her it go, and watched the older woman walk down the stairs till her white hair disappeared from sight.

Beneath all Blue's fury was sorrow. Sorrow that everyday someone she had once loved was slowly disappearing, becoming an apparition that haunted the palace halls, and her and her sister’s memories. 

She shut her eyes tight and let out a long sigh before continuing down the hall to Pink's room. 

She rapped her knuckles against the door and her sister's yell immediately invited her inside. 

Blue peaked inside to find the youngest princess sitting on her bed. Her bandaged hands set gently in her lap. 

Pink looked up to her, smiling,but the moment her eyes landed on Blue the smile fell away.

"What's wrong?" The youngest royal asked as she slid off the bed to stand in front of her.

"Nothing's wrong." She insisted. Pink just frowned up at her and Blue sighed. "I simply ran into mother in the hall…she was asking for Yellow. She has no recollection I'm ordering Yellows lashings."

The frown on Pink's lips seemed to deepen as she looked around Blue at the closed door, as though her mother might come through at any given second. 

"It's alright." Blue said. "She went down the stairs." 

"I saw her walking around the halls last night…" She glanced back up at Blue.

"I heard her." Blue nodded. 

"What is she doing?"

"I couldn't begin to guess." Blue shook her head wearily. "Something to worry about another day. I came to tell you the Yellow has finally agreed to let you come see her." 

That seemed to instantly cheer the younger girl. The smile jumping back onto her face. 

"Really?" She bounced on her toes and Blue could only smile and nod. 

"The physician was changing her bandages when I left but they should be finished by the time we get back." 

“Yes, let’s go!” She nodded eagerly. She reached for the door but stopped, wincing a little as her fingers tried to close around the handle.

“Let me, Pink.” Blue reached around her and opened the door. 

“Right… thanks.” Pink peaked out into the hall and finding it devoid of the queen hurried to the stairs, Blue right behind her. 

Just as they approached Yellow’s door, it swung open as the royal physician let himself out, he stopped, seeing the princess’ and gave a quick bow.

“Your Highness’.” He looked to Blue “The captain’s wounds are healing as expected, there have been no signs of infection either.” He smiled and internally Blue sagged with relief at the news. “They have begun to scab over so moving will prove a bit more difficult but it’s my suggestion that she go outside for some fresh air. Perhaps you will have better luck convincing her than I.” He smiled and gave another bow to the two before turning and walking away. 

He left the door open and Pink wasted no time darting inside.

“Yellow!” Pink beamed as soon as she saw the blonde. “How are you? How do you feel? Does it hurt terribly?” She fired off making the knight blink owlishly at her.

Blue giggled as she closed the door behind her, leaving the three of them in the privacy of Yellow’s quarters. 

“Pink, breathe and let her answer one question before you ask another.” She reminded the girl as she passed to sit on the bed next to the knight.

“I’ll be fine, Rosaline. How are you?” She asked instead. Pink blinked back, surprised by the question. She looked down at her bandaged hands, each individual finger carefully covered to prevent infection, thought it also made it difficult to move them. 

“No, I’m fine!” She held up her hands as if to show the knight. Yellow didn’t look at all convinced. 

“I’ve been burned before.” She said easily. “I imagine it still hurts quite a bit.” She stated simply. 

Pink twitched her fingers and twinged at the pain and tightness in the digits, she frowned.

“You’re a lot stronger than anyone gives you credit for.” 

She jerked up to look at Yellow wide eyed. 

“I’ve known grown men who whined more at less.” She hummed. Pink’s cheeks darkened at the knight captain’s praise. 

Blue looked adoringly at the knight out the side of her eye. 

“Yeah… well, thanks.” The princess mumbled abashedly. 

"The physician said it would be best if you went outside for some fresh air and sunshine…" Blue spoke up taking the attention off the youngest.

Yellow pursed her lips and turned her head, avoiding Blues gaze. 

"I know you probably don't want to go outside or let anyone see you but it will help.”

“I’d prefer not too…” The knight groused. 

“Please, for me?" Blue batted her eyes at the knight whose face puckered up like she’d swallowed a lemon.

"Fine" She finally scowled.

"Excellent" She smiled. "I'll help you get into something." She stood from the bed and walked over to the open wardrobe on the far side of the room. Yellow huffed as Blue began digging through her attire.

"Yellow?" 

The knight turned back to Pink who was gently touching the bandages wrapped around her fingers and looking intently at the stone floor.

"What is it, Rosaline?"

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, looking at the knight from beneath her lashes. 

Blonde eyebrows disappeared into equally blonde hair. Yellows eyes flickered to Blue who had stopped to watch the two over her shoulder. 

"For what?" The knight questioned. 

Pink's eyes went back to her hands.

"If I hadn't gotten hurt you probably wouldn't have been punished…" She began softly.

“Stop” Yellow said quietly but the one word halted all other noise in the room. She sighed tierdley and Pink tried not to shrink in on herself at the woman’s aggravated look.

“What happened wasn’t your fault, Rosaline.” 

“But…” 

“No” Yellow snapped, scowling but it wasn’t Pink she was angry at. “What happened was not your fault… nor yours.” She looked up at Blue. “It was simply something unfortunate that happened due to the queen’s… sickness. You and I both are victims of that, Pink.” She finished. 

Pink looked at her wide eyed. 

“What?” Yellow leaned back at the wide grin on the girl’s face. 

“You’ve never called me ‘Pink’ before.” Her wide eyes almost sparkled in the morning sun. 

Yellow felt her face grow hot and she turned to Blue who was just smiling at her. 

“Are we going outside or not?” She finally huffed, turning her full attention to Blue, who was still standing in the open wardrobe.

“Of course, darling.” She giggled to herself, pulling some clothes out.

“Next time just enjoy it, don’t make mention of it.” Blue whispered into Pink’s ear as she walked by. Pink just grinned. 

Getting Yellow dressed was a slow process, as was getting her down the stairs without too much jostling.

“Let’s go to my garden!” Pink suggested. Blue looked at Yellow who just nodded as they slowly made their way to the private garden the queen had built when Pink was born. 

It was private, no palace windows faced it and servants only attended it at certain times. Right now it stood empty save for the three of them and the immaculate rose bushes of varying colors that surrounded the area. 

Yellow carefully sat herself on the large carved marble bench, Blue sitting next to her, hands folded in her lap. Their legs brushed but Blue made sure to keep well away from the knights torso. Pink quickly disappeared into the forest of flowers. They could hear her her rustling about somewhere in the foliage.

Blue glanced at her companion and was glad the knight seemed to perk up in the warm sunlight. 

_‘Like a grouchy sunflower.’_ She thought to herself, amused. 

Yellow carefully reached out and took one of Blue’s folded hands and held it securely in her own. Blue couldn’t help the tranquil smile that worked its way onto her face as the warmth of Yellow’s skin seeped into her. She held the knights hand in her lap, running her fingers over her knuckles contentedly.

“I wish everyday could be like this one.” She murmured. Yellow made an agreeing sound. 

“I found them!” Pink came running up to them with a pair of roses held carefully in her bandaged hands and handed one to Yellow and Blue, who was grinning brightly at the golden colored rose now grasped between her fingers.

Yellow hummed in thought at the sapphire tinted flower the princess had given her.

“They’re beautiful, Pink.” Blue smiled, sliding the flower’s stem into her hair behind her ear, careful of the thorns. 

“They are.” Yellow agreed. Blue plucked the flower from her hand and set it carefully behind Yellow’s ear, ignoring the look the knight was giving her. 

“Ah, but what about you?” Blue questioned. 

“Me?” Pink asked. 

“Yes, you.” She smiled and reached across to one of the nearby rose bushes and carefully plucked off one of its dainty, blush colored flowers. Carefully Blue arranged the plant in her sister’s puffy curls until she was satisfied. 

“Perfect.” She leaned back, admiring her work with a smile.

“Indeed.” Yellow agreed with a nod. 

“Thanks…” Pink ducked her head, trying to hide the smile she couldn’t push down. 

They sat in the garden till the sun dipped behind the palace’s walls, casting them in shadows.

“Come, we had best go back inside. Yellow needs to rest and it’s time to have your bandages changed. You head off that way.” Blue told Pink as she stood from the bench and stretched before turning back around to offer her hands to Yellow and helping her stand. 

“Alright.” Pink sighed and stood from the ground. “I’ll come see you tomorrow, Yellow.” She called as she took off jogging back toward the castle. 

“Energetic as ever.” Yellow chuckled. 

“She wasn’t like that yesterday you know. She’s really been missing you…” She said, helping the knight stand. 

Yellow hummed, but Blue caught the twitch of her lip. 

“You know…” She started, looking at the deep cobalt rose still sitting behind the knight’s ear. “I think that flower is very becoming of you, my love.” She smirked.

Yellow chuckled. 

“I think blue might be my color.” She grinned at her.

Blue rolled her eyes, but the smile betrayed her as she pressed her hands to the knight’s cheeks.

“I think you might be right.” She murmured before pressing a soft kiss to her mouth.


	8. Riot and Rage

It was just after sunrise about a month after her lashings that Yellow stood looking over her shoulder at her back in the mirror in her chambers as she had done since returning to duty, two days ago.

Her back was a mass of still soft, bright pink barely healed scars that stretched from her shoulder blades to the small of her back, crisscrossing in many places. Some completely melding into others. 

She scowled at the marks.

Blue had yet to see her back and Yellow was in no rush to change that.

The scars she had before were different. Battle scars, inflicted by swords and daggers and arrows… earned, honorable, but these?

No one would ever mistake them for anything other than what they were. 

The mark of a whip. The universal symbol for servitude or punishment.

With a heavy sigh she pulled a dark tunic on, putting the scarrs out of sight and thus out of her mind for the moment.

She shrugged on the jerkin, tying it tight around her chest. The thick leather across her back provided a comfort it hadn't before. 

She hated that she felt this way. 

She shook her head and finished cinching the belt around her waist, sword at her side and headed off to make her rounds.

The guards posted along the entrances of the palace walls saluted her as she passed. She nodded in kind, keeping her head held high. 

Many of these men had bore witness to her lashings. She could feel their eyes on her, certainly more than one was judging her… looking down at her.

Her jaw clenched as she stomped around the grounds before finishing there and making her way inside.

Walking through the grand hall, past the throne room she noticed that of the normally two guards stationed outside the door, today there was only one.

“Where is Ivers?” She barked, aggravated as she turned to the other guard, who gave a start at the captain's brusque tone. 

“He didn’t show up to duty this morning, captain, and he wasn’t in the barracks either.” The man shrugged. The knight pursed her lips.

“If you see him tell him that I want to see him immediately.” She ordered.

“Of course, captain.” 

That was the second missing guard in as many days. The other, from the western palace gate, hadn’t been seen two days. 

Yellow stored the information in the back of her mind for now as she walked toward the grand staircase that lead up to the personal quarters. 

She bypassed the second floor where her own room was, and headed straight to the royal chambers on the third floor. Standing at the top of the stairs she glanced around. 

The hall was empty of anyone but her, giving her the perfect window to slip into Blue’s room.

The door opened and closed soundlessly and Yellow couldn’t help but smile, her sour mood melting away at the mere sight of Blue.

The princess’ back was turned to her as she sat at the writing desk sitting beneath the window. She seemed completely engrossed in whatever she was working on. 

Silent feet padded across the stone floor till she was standing directly behind her. She leaned down till her lips were next to Blue’s ear.

“What is so fascinating?” She breathed against the shell of her ear.

Blue screamed, quill and ink flying across the room. 

Yellow burst out laughing as Blue spun around, wide eyed. She frowned the moment she saw the captain.

“Yellow!” The princess scowled at her. “Don’t do that!” She hissed, slapping the knight in the shoulder.

“I couldn’t resist.” The knight grinned, wrapping her arms around Blue’s waist. She resisted, turning her head away, refusing to look at her. ”I’m sorry, forgive me?” Yellow tried. Blue looked at her out of the corner of her eye before sighing and turning to wrap her arms around Yellow’s neck and laid a kiss on her cheek.

“Very well… but please don’t… I’m a bit on edge today…” She mumbled, laying her head on Yellow’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” She ran her hands through the long, soft strands of hair.

“Someone tried to open my door last night.” She mumbled against Yellow’s neck. 

“What?” Yellow hissed. Blue nodded against her.

“I had just laid down in bed when someone tried to open it, I could hear it as they pushed it. I’m certain it was my mother...” 

Yellow’s grip on her tightened.

“It’s getting worse…” The knight growled. Blue could only sigh as she extracted herself from the knight’s grip, bending over to pick up the quill.

“Yes, more worrisome still, I’ve noticed that one of my favorite attendants has vanished. She has not been to breakfast the last two days and when I asked others and they all said that no one had seen her in three days…” She laid the quill back on her desk and looked at Yellow who had the most perplexing look on her face. 

“What is it, love?” 

“I’ve noticed that two of my men are missing as well and no one has seen them.” She frowned. 

“That can’t be a coincidence…” The princess‘ eyes narrowed. 

“Do you think it has something to do with your mother?” Yellow asked after a long quiet moment. 

“I can’t imagine she would abduct two of her own guards and a servant…” 

“We never imagined she was capable of any of the things she has been doing as of late.” Yellow reminded her.

“That is also true…” Blue rubbed her temple to try and ward off the oncoming headache. “Every day it’s something new.” She growled, whipping back to her desk and throwing the quill down atop the parchment she had been working on. “I can only mitigate so many of her disasters at once.” She sighed.

“It will be alright.” Yellow tried to soothe. 

“Will it!?” She whipped around to face the knight. “Everyday the rebellion rages on, you were flogged, Pink was burnt, people disappear right under our noses and my mother roams the halls at night, rattling doors like a spectre!” She threw out her arms. 

Yellow stared at her, wide-eyed. 

“I…” Blue clasped her hands together tightly. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to yell at you.” She turned her back on the knight.

Two strides and Yellow was wrapping her arms once more around Blue, who went limp in the embrace.

“It’s alright…” She murmured. 

“Nothing is alright.” She twisted in the grip and buried her face in the captain’s neck. 

Cold, wet drops of water splashed onto the skin of Yellows neck. 

Yellow held her tightly, whispering quiet assurances in her ear and running a gloved hand up and down her back in what she hoped was soothing.

After a while Blue pulled back, snuffling. The last few tear drops rolling down her cheeks. Yellow wiped them away with her thumb and cradled Blue's face in her palm

"I'm sorry…" Blue's words were thick. "Things have just been such a mess. I'm finally getting through all the things she's been neglecting but it's piled up in the last few months...and then there's Pink and you…" She trailed off.

"I shouldn't be one of your burdens, Azurine. Don't worry about me." 

"You're not a burden, never, not to me." Blue glared at her. Yellow managed to suppress the smirk that threatened to rise.

"I only meant you have enough to worry about, you shouldn't be worrying about me." She corrected. 

"I can't help it." Blue mumbled, resting her head back on the knight's chest and her hands resting on her back.

Yellow flinched at the touch and Blue was quick to notice. 

She jerked back to look up at the knight's face. 

"I'm sorry! Does it still pain you?" She asked, sad cerulean eyes boring into hers. 

"Not really. It's just tender..." She shifted uncomfortably. 

Blue frowned, pulling back to arm's length to look at the knight..

"Are you sure? Let me look at it…" she started to reach for the jerkin and Yellow took a step back, staring into surprised eyes

"Yellow…?" She questioned softly.

"It's fine, Blue." She assured.

"If it's fine why won't you let me see?" She questioned.

They stood in tense quiet till a soft knocking broke the intense atmosphere. 

"Your Highness? I have the heated water for your bath." A servant called through the thick wood.

Yellow quickly hid herself behind the window's dark curtains before Blue opened the door.

She listened to them talk quietly before the sound of water pouring into the large metal tub drowned out any other sound.

She heard the door open and close. A moment later Blue beckoned her out.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong now?" Blue looked at her as she dipped a hand in the tub of steaming water.

"I told you, nothing's wrong." She insisted. 

The look Blue was giving her said loud and clear that she didn’t believe her for a moment. 

"Very well…" She said and Yellow started to breathe a sigh of relief before Blue began pulling at the ties of her dress, causing the whole thing to fall into a puddle of cobalt silk at her feet. Yellow choked on the breath. "Why don't you stay and relax with me than?" She suggested, gesturing to the bath.

Yellow swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

"I… can't." it took a monumental effort to say and more still to keep her eyes on Blue's face. " I have duties to attend to…" She managed to spit out.

“If you still had duties that needed your attention than you wouldn’t have come here.” Blue crossed the room in a few quick strides, stopping in front of the reddening knight whose eyes were resolutely locked onto her face. 

Long fingers reached up and took hold of the edges of the jerkin. 

Quick as lightning Yellow snatched both wrists in her hands. Tight, but not painful. Never painful. 

Blue looked up at her surprised, but Yellow was looking off to the side, face twisted up like she was in pain.

“Yellow…” She started.

“It’s ugly…” She finally whispered, making Blue blink.

“What is?” She tilted her head, trying to look into her lover’s eyes. Yellow met them, reluctantly.

“My back.” She hissed. The pain in those words made Blue’s heart ache.

“Let me see?” She implored gently. She pulled her hands out of Yellow’s now lax grip and ran her fingers down her cheeks. 

When Yellow said nothing in protest, nor moved to stop her Blue reached back up and gently pulled loose the straps holding the jerkin closed and slipped it off the knight’s shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. 

With gentle prodding to her shoulder, she bid the knight to turn and face away from her, Yellow did so, stiffly, if nothing else, glad she didn’t have to see Blue’s face when she saw her back.

The tunic was slipped over her shoulders and joined the jerkin on the floor. 

The quiet in the room was deafening to Yellow as she stood there, torso bare save for the yellow diamond pendant hanging from her neck and staring at the door across the room. Her jaw clenched as the quiet drew onward, the muscles in her back drawn tight.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when cool fingers were pressed to the warm skin of her back, gently tracing over one of the many long scars there, but still, Blue said nothing as she gently traced the thick, raised up skin. 

The fingers vanished and Yellow was about to turn when she felt the telltale press of lips on her back. Goosebumps jumped up her arms and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end at the gentle touch of Blue’s lips and feel of her bare skin pressing against the small of her back as long delicate arms circled the knight’s waist, holding her close.

“Blue…” Yellow’s breath hitched, a shiver shot up her spine as those full lips dragged across the soft, newly scarred skin of her back, covering nearly every inch of the freshly healed wounds.

Finally those lips were pressed against the shell of her ear. 

“There is _nothing_ ugly about any part of you.” Blue’s hot breath in her ear caused fire to shoot through Yellow, pooling in her belly. “I’ll hear no more of such ridiculousness…” Her nails raked gently across the tight skin of the knight’s abdomen and she felt Yellow shiver in her embrace and smiled before trailing her mouth down the column of her neck, making the knight hum. She stopped only to sink her teeth into the flesh at the junction of her neck and shoulders.

Yellow let out a low keening moan. 

Blue grinned, pressing a kiss to the now red skin.

“Now will you stay and relax with me?” She hummed.

Yellow’s jaw clenched.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pink was sneaking her way back inside the palace after spending the last hour in a hidden corner of the training fields with a straw dummy, practicing the dagger work Yellow had taught her. 

The bandages had finally come off, revealing her now darker pink hands and wrists, splotchy and tender. 

The physician had informed her that the scars were more than likely permanent, though the intensity of the pink might fade some over time.

She was more alright with that than she thought she'd be.

The dagger wore uncomfortably on the fresh new skin, cutting her practice shorter than she would have liked, but unlike her favorite mentor, Pink knew to stop if it hurt.

She tucked the dagger carefully into her riding boots, out of sight. 

She was nearly through the courtyard when the rattling of metal and thundering of horse's hooves gave her pause. 

Not a moment after stopping a squadron of palace guards went galloping out from the stables toward the eastern gate toward town. 

The palace guards were only sent to town if anywhere, so what was going on?

Blue would know, and if she didn't, she could find out. 

She jogged across the courtyard and up the steps, passing through the hall, past the lone guard standing watch in front of the throne room. 

She bounded up the stairs, stopping briefly at the landing of the second floor before carrying on up to the royal wing.

Yellow was out attending to her duties somewhere. 

She knocked gently on her sisters door but didn't wait before pushing open the door 

"Blue!" The younger princess called as she burst into the room

"Rosaline!" Blue frowned, sitting up from her place in the metal tub, the water only up to her ribs.

"Oh, sorry." The girl grinned sheepishly. "I had to come and ask if you knew where all the palace guards were going? I saw them heading towards town." She pointed in the direction of the court yard.

"The...palace… guards?" Blue stuttered, clutching the side of the bath."No, but when I'm done we can find out. Why don't you wait in your room?" She nearly hissed out the last part.

Pink gave her an odd look but nodded and backed out, shutting the door behind her.

Not a second after the door slammed shut did Yellow break the water's surface, gasping for air and grinning.

"You're terrible!" Blue hissed, but the equally devious grin betrayed her. 

"That's not what you were saying earlier." The knight managed between deep breaths, water dripping down her face and off her chin, back into the tub.

Blue just splashed her.

"What did she want?" She glanced at the door where the younger princess had been.

"Apparently some palace guards were heading toward town." 

"I never gave any orders…" she frowned, brows dipping between her eyes.

"So my mother must have…" Blue sighed.

"We'll have to go check it out." Yellow said.

"I know…" she sighed, but rested her hand in the matted, wet blonde locks on the knights head and bit her lip.

"Finish first…"

~ ~ ~

Nearly an hour later Blue and Pink waited patiently for the knight in the library, in the small alcove on the second floor that the knight and princess frequently used to meet in secrecy.

“What’s taking her so long?’ Pink whined, pacing back and forth from shelf to shelf. Blue watched her quietly from the fainting couch. 

“Patience is not one of your virtues.” Yellow huffed, stepping around the corner. The dark look on the knight’s face told Blue that Yellow had indeed found answers 

“What did you learn?” She stood from the seat. 

“The queen sent over half the palace guards into town to stop the riots that have broken out.” She scowled. 

“Riots?” Pink questioned, looking up at the knight captain. 

“Yes. The queen has been conscripting men from town and executing people she thinks are traitors. Not just the rebels.” 

“Who else?” Blue demanded.

“Apparently it started this morning when a young man expressed ‘pro-rebel sentiments’ and on the queen’s orders, they hung him.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and Pink gasped as Blue sighed wearily. 

“Should we go to town?” Pink looked up at her sister.

“Absolutely not!” The knight nearly shouted, lips pulled back over her teeth in a near snarl.

“If we go into town we would be in great danger.” Blue laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder and explained more calmly than her companion.

“So we just sit here?” The youngest Diamond shrugged off Blue’s hand, turning to face her. 

“We wait until the riots have been suppressed. Than we can begin to clean up the mess.” Yellow growled under her breath, looking angrily out the window toward the town. Blue pursed her lips in silent agreement. She didn’t like it but their options were limited at the moment. 

“One more disaster to alleviate…” Blue muttered bitterly.

“I’m afraid it’s more than one…” Yellow turned to her. “It was reported to me by another guard that the queen has been interrogating ‘suspected traitors’ in the dungeons for the last two days.”

“Suspected traitors?” She repeated, perplexed, this was the first she had heard any such thing, but really, nothing about that surprised her anymore.

“Yes, I’m going down there now too see who’s being kept.” 

“I’ll come with you.” Blue nodded.

“Me too.” Pink jumped in.

“No”

“No, Rosaline.” Both Blue and Yellow were quick to shoot down the idea.

“This concerns me just as much as it does the both of you.” She threw out her hands and both of them couldn’t help but notice the bright pink splotches of her skin. They glanced at each other and Yellow sighed, crossing her arms and looked away. 

“Very well…” She conceded. “Stay behind us.’ She warned, holding up a finger and looking down at the girl with narrowed eyes. Pink nodded, face set in the most serious expression she could muster. 

The two royals followed the knight captain down to the first floor and then further still to the basement, where the servants lived. They passed the corridor of plain doors, even further down to the palace’s sub basement. The dungeons. 

The guard stationed at the heavy door to the dungeons jolted at the sight of the knight captain and both Princess’. 

“Captain…”He started. 

“Open the door.” Yellow ordered before he could say much else.

“Right away…” He fumbled with the large ring of keys tied to his waist and pulled open the heavy door for them. 

Yellow didn’t spare him another glance as she walked through the damp and dim corridor. 

“My mother’s newest prisoners, the one’s suspected of treason, where are they?” Blue looked at him, voice sharp and cold. 

“Last three cells on the left, Your Highness…” He stuttered. She only gave a brief nod before following Yellow, Pink right behind her. 

Pink had never been to the dungeons before and looked around curiously. 

The air was cool and had a certain dampness and smell about it, like copper maybe? The walls seemed to glisten in the flickering firelight of the torches set in the walls, she reached out and brushed her fingers over them. They were cold and wet. 

Yellow pulled a torch from the sconce on her right and having heard the guard’s words made a beeline straight for the end of the dim hall, Blue and Pink only a step behind. 

She stopped at the first of the three and shone the light through the heavy iron bars. Blue gasped.

Chained to the wall, clothes torn, dirty and appearing to have been beaten bloody, face near unrecognizable, was the servant Blue had been searching for.

“Gods…” Blue’s closed her eyes, the image searing into her mind. and Pink could only cup her hands over her mouth in horror. Yellow grit her teeth as she looked into the dimness of the other two cells and already knew what she would find there. 

Breathing heavily through her nose she shined the light into the first of the two cells and clenched her jaw tight at the sight of one of her men, chained to the wall, it seemed by the blood running down his face and burns around his empty eye sockets that the torturer had poked out his eyes his eyes with a hot iron and finally cut out his tongue. 

“Don’t look, Pink.” Yellow warned as the princess approached. She stopped short, seeming to hesitate before she heeded the knight’s command, shaking. 

Blue however would not shy away from this. 

She hissed through her teeth at the sight of the man. 

Yellow wanted very much not to look into the last cell, but these were her men and she would not falter now.

She shined the torch into the last cell and immediately turned her head away and bent over, heaving. 

“Yellow…!” Blue whispered urgently. Pink ran up, looking desperately at the knight.

“No…” She finally managed when she got her breathing back under control. “Don’t look, Azurine.” 

The eldest princess couldn't help but glance back at the cell, but the lowered torch only shined a fraction of its light into the darkness. Even with the low light, the large puddle of blood on the stone floor shimmered. Blue turned away, breathing heavily through her nose. 

“This has become a nightmare…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a chapter or two left ~ Rohad


	9. Strike True

For two tense day the knight captain and both princess’ stayed in the relative safety of the palace walls, though with the queen roaming the halls at night and abducting for torture, anyone she suspected to be disloyal to the crown, there was hardly any safety to be had. Their doors stayed tightly latched during the night and Yellow kept her sword at her bedside.

Blue stayed in Yellow’s chambers, unmovable from her lover’s side. Pink also spent a lot of her time with the two, reluctant to run into her mother alone. It was easy to move about with everything going on. The servants had made themselves scarce, and almost all the rest of the palace guard were sent into town to quiet the riots that were still going on, though based off the reports Yellow was getting things were finally starting to get under control in town, though the fighting on the front remained unchanged.

Everyday it seemed more prisoners of war were brought into town just to be brutally executed for the public. By miracle or some divine providence though the people of the empire had grown tired of all the constant blood letting. Large crowds no longer gathered for the queen’s executions, instead they rioted against the fighting that had been dragging on for over a year now and was racking up lives by the day.

There was still always the empire’s bureaucracy to keep up with as well. 

Blue sighed to herself tiredly as she shuffled through all the different documents she had scattered atop her writing desk. 

Trade agreements and marriage contracts that had been sitting for months, not even looked at by the queen who was so consumed with the rebellion and suspected traitors in her mists that everything else had fallen by the wayside, including the empire and her daughters. 

Blue pushed that thought away. It was getting easier to do so by the day. The woman she sometimes spied in the halls was a complete stranger to her now. 

The warmth and love that had once been abundant was none existent now. The light in those gray eyes had faded and now they were cold. She and Pink both could see it.

When Winea Diamond looked at them it was like she didn’t know them. She knew their names, but the recognition seemed to be gone and more often than not it felt as if she was looking through them. 

Their mother was dead.

A bloody, brutal, suspicious and paranoid queen was all that remained. 

Blue could feel herself slipping into a dark train of thought and shook herself, focussing back on the documents in front of her.

She reread the paper, focussing. 

An offer of marriage from the king of the kingdom that neighbored them to the west, across the sea, between herself and his second son. Blue pursed her lips and glanced over her shoulder at the blonde knight lying stretched out on her bed, hands folded across her stomach and dozing softly.

Her face was relaxed, the way she could only be when asleep. 

Quietly, Blue crumpled the paper into a ball, and tossed it into the nearby fireplace. Kindling for the coming winter.

Perhaps marrying one of the many men from the nearby provinces would be smart. It would be beneficial for everyone involved. It would put the people of the empire at ease, knowing the heir to the throne was married and working on an heir of her own.

She could never do it; her heart would never be in it.

Perhaps she and Yellow had chosen a difficult path for themselves, they would never have the open relationship that came so easily to everyone else, but she could never give herself over to anyone else. After knowing real love, it would be impossible to submit herself to a political marriage. No matter how kind the man. 

She couldn’t bare to do that to her love. 

Despite all the men her mother had been pushing her way up until she had begun to change. 

She had become an expert at dodging men and their proposals of marriage. 

She flipped through the next few pages, skimming the contents of a new proposal for taxes on their imported goods.

A quiet knocking on her door made her look up from the parchment.

“Blue!” Pink called through the wood.

“Come in.” She turned back to the desk as Pink slipped into the room, closing the door behind her.

“Have you seen…” She started before her eyes were drawn to the blonde who hadn’t stirred from her place on the bed. 

A wide grin broke out on her face and Blue could see the wheels turning just before she bolted across the floor, slippered feet tapping quickly across the stone before she dived onto the bed, landing squarely on the sleeping knight.

“Oof” Yellow wheezed, eyes wide and fully awake as the youngest Diamond landed lengthwise across her stomach.

“Yellow!” She grinned. The knight glared at her before unceremoniously grabbing a leg and flipping her over the bed.

Pink screeched as she tumbled over the bed and onto the floor. 

“Ow…” She whined.

With a grunt Yellow pushed herself up, still looking irritable. 

Blue watched the whole thing take place with a small grin on her face. She couldn’t say that her sister didn’t deserve the less than gentle treatment. 

Yellow had slept the least of the two of them over the last two days. She lay with her, but her sleep was light, knowing that the queen had been doing and how she was roaming the halls at night.

She had no such problem, knowing the knight as watching over her. She wasn’t quite sure how Pink was resting, she seemed to be in high as spirits as usual though.

“Are you both alright?” She turned in her chair to better observe the two. 

“Yes…” Pink pouted, climbing off the floor, though made no mention of her rougher than normal treatment by the knight. Yellow grunted an affirmative. 

“You wanted something from me, I take it…?” The knight grumbled, glancing at the younger princess out the side of her eye, still less than pleased at her rude awakening. 

“Yes… I was hoping we could practice my dagger work again?” She looked up at the knight pleadingly. 

“Go…” She jerked her head towards the door. “Change into you practice clothes and I’ll meet you in the stables.” She grumbled. 

Pink grinned from ear to ear before bolting out of the room as quickly as she’d come.

Yellow yawned, stretching her arms out over her head, blinking groggily and Blue felt bad she hadn’t stopped the whirlwind of a girl from pouncing on her. 

“Did you sleep alright?” She smiled, prompting Yellow’s eyes to fall on her. 

“Well enough.” She Shrugged.

Blue stood from the desk, stretching herself before crossing the room to stand over the sitting knight.

“I shouldn’t have let her wake you.” She said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“It’s fine. I’ve slept enough.” 

“You’ve hardly slept at all in two days…” Blue frowned.

“Can you blame me?” She looked up at Blue tierdley.

“No…” She sighed, reaching out and running her fingers through the knight’s short blonde hair, she leaned into the touch. “I do wish you would sleep a little more though, rather than humor Rosaline.” She said.

“Yes, well, I’m awake now so I might as well be productive.” She yawned again and sood, making Blue step back. 

“I’m going to wait for her in the stables.” She mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck as she made her way to the door. 

“Would you mind if I went with you two?” She asked, stopping Yellow in her tracks. She glanced back at the princess.

“Maybe I can show Pink what another of your apprentice’s with a dagger is capable of?” She smiled, making the knight chuckle.

“If you’d like.” She smirked. They made their way quickly down to the stables, Pink would no doubt change as quickly as possible once the knight had agreed.

“Are you certain it’s wise to leave the palace right now?” Yellow glanced at her as she strapped the saddle tightly in place to her stallion. 

“The safest place I can be is with you...besides, things could hardly get worse.” The princess sighed as she ran her fingers through her horse’s mane. 

“They certainly could…” The knight grumbled under her breath.

“Always the pessimist…” Blue smirked at the knight over her shoulder. Yellow only grunted in response. 

“Things are… bad.” The princess admitted quietly. Yellow only glanced at her as they readied their horses, keeping their eyes on the stable hands moving about. “I’d like to think that we can only make things better from here.” Blue nodded to herself more than anything as she said it. 

“I hope.” Yellow grumbled under her breath.

“Blue?” Pink called as she entered the stable to find her sister preparing her horse along with the knight captain. 

The heir apparent smiled at her sister.

“I hope you don’t mind if I tag along for your lesson?” Blue asked her sister.

“No!” Pink smiled brightly. “Maybe I can finally see your dagger?” She asked hopefully. 

“Maybe…”Blue smiled, mounting her horse.

“Hurry, Rosaline.” Yellow nodded to the stall where Pearl was as she pulled herself atop her own steed.

“Right!” The youngest princess grinned as she hurried over, harassing the stable hand that was trying to ready Pearl. 

Yellow rolled her eyes and Blue could only giggle under her breath. 

When Pink was finally mounted Yellow lead both of them out of the stable and through the woods to the secluded training area she used when she wanted to be alone.

“Isn’t this place amazing, Blue?” Pink smiled brightly as they entered the clearing. 

“It is.” Blue agreed. “I’ve been here before, but it always amazes me.” Blue smiled, looking at the small pond in the center of the clearing. She had more than a few memories of her and the knight sitting at the water’s edge over the last five years, enjoying each others company and talking.

Often times not talking.

The youngest princess wasted no time dismounting and tying her horse to a nearby tree. 

Yellow and Blue followed at a more reserved pace.

“Come on!” Pink bounced on her heels, waiting on the knight and her sister.

Yellow frowned, rolling her eyes at the girl’s impatience. Blue just smiled knowingly.

“You told me before that you’ve been practicing?” Yellow questioned, to which Pink nodded. “Show me.” She nodded toward the training dummy.

“Right!” Pink nodded, suddenly serious as she pulled the dagger from its sheath at her waist and too up the stance Yellow had showed her. 

Blue watched curiously as the younger girl turned serious. A state she could not say was altogether natural to her younger sibling.

Pink took a few vicious jabs at the dummy sticking it in the chest, just as Yellow had showed her, though, off center by more than a little. She looked back at the knight for her approval.

Yellow nodded. 

“Yes, very good. Always aim for the chest, aim to kill so you don’t end up killed.” She poked a finger directly into the center of Pink’s chest.

“I could show you if you like, Rosaline.” Blue offered with a tiny smile as her sister’s eyes lit up. 

“So you do have a dagger?” She asked, grinning. 

“You’re hardly Yellow’s first student.” She laughed, reaching through the hidden slit in her dress to pull out the long onyx handled dagger.

“Ohhh” Pink ogled the blade as Blue stepped in front of the training dummy, twisting herself into a form that was different than Pinks before stabbing it through the chest, solid and unwavering through its would be heart, burying it to the hilt.

“Wow” Pink mumbled. “That form was different than the one you showed me.” Pink turned to the knight.

“I taught you a form for stabbing upward but still true. Blue is taller, It wasn’t necessary.” The knight answered simply with a shrug. “I’ll teach you a different form, if you ever grow that is…” The knight smirked as Pink turned fuschia at the comment.

“Leave her be, Yellow.” Blue turned to gently scold the knight, who crossed her arms and huffed.

“Pink is young yet, she will grow just fine.” She smiled down at the girl who only pursed her lips further, cheeks still rosy as her namesake. 

Yellow hummed in answer.

They spent the better part of the afternoon practicing on the dummies until they were even more lifless than they had been before. Sad piles of straw and mutilated sacks lay lifeless on the ground. 

“We should head back.” Yellow suggested, looking to Blue who nodded.

Pink looked ready to protest but Blue cut her off before it could get started.

“Your hands need a rest. Your scars are still soft.” She reminded. 

Pink looked down at the splotchy skin of her hands sadly.

“Keep at this and they’ll be hardened before you know it.” Yellow said as she walked by them back toward the horses. Blue rolled her eyes at the knight’s back.

The two royals followed and made their way quickly back to the palace. 

Yellow glanced toward the town as they rode through the field. 

Things looked quiet from this far away, but Yellow knew that they were still working to completely quiet the riots that had been breaking out. 

Blue glanced at the knight and could see where her attention had gone and frowned. Reality was always looming over them, even when they tried to put it out of their minds. 

This was further driven home by the guard that intercepted them just as they were leaving the stables. 

“Your Highness’ Captain Stone.” He bowed. “Her Majesty has asked that you be escorted to the throne room as soon as you returned.” He informed them.

Dread settled over the three like a heavy shroud. 

Yellow’s gloved hands clenched so hard the leather squeaked. She glanced at Blue and Pink, the former looking just as nauseous as she herself felt. The later looked scared and Yellow could hardly blame the youngest princess after everything they had seen as of late. 

Blue was the first to find her voice.

“We will make our way there at once.” She said, pulling out the calm and commanding voice she only used in public, but Yellow knew better.

The ever so slight tremble in her lover’s words and the rigid set of her shoulders told Yellow everything she needed to know.

Blue was scared.

Yellow’s jaw clenched painfully. 

They watched the guard disappear up the path back to the palace before looking to each other.

“Blue?” Pink looked up at her, worry clear as the pale rosy red hue of her irises.

“It will be alright, Pink. She probably just wants to talk to Yellow and I.” She soothed, taking the girl by the shoulders. 

No one was fooled by the words, as desperately as Blue wished to believe them herself. 

Yellow drew a steadying breath.

“No use in delaying the inevitable…” She looked at Blue, who nodded stiffly. 

The walk to the throne room felt to Yellow like she was heading for the gallows, and considering what had happened the last time she had been face to face with the queen that possibility wasn’t as implausible as she wished it were. 

It seemed by the handful of guards she spotted posted around the palace that most of them were still on duty in town, suppressing the riots.

The queen was sitting in her throne, cold gray eyes watching them as they approached.

A shiver ran down Yellow’s spine. 

“Your Majesty…” Yellow dipped into a deep bow, eyes to the ground as the two royals at her side curtsied.

“Mother” Blue and Pink echoed. 

“Go and prepare yourselves for travel, we leave first thing in the morning.” The queen said without preamble, her distant gaze looking off somewhere else. Blue jolted.

“To where, if I may ask?” 

“The frontline of course!” She scowled and Yellow could see the terror that seized both royals. Her own heart clenched in a ghostly cold grip.

“The front?” Blue pushed before Yellow could protest. The last time the knight had spoken out punishment had followed not long after. She would not allow the knight to put herself on the chopping block for them again, as much as she would be willing to.

The queen’s eyes seemed to finally focus on Blue and she swallowed thickly at the look in them.

“Yes… the front.” She drawled. “This rebellion has gone on long enough. You both failed to do your duty and inspire the men there to end this petty uprising, so now I must go and show you how it is done properly.” Her eyes narrowed on her eldest daughter. 

“Of course.” She nodded, head bowed.

Pink stayed quiet, but Yellow could see the tremors in her form.

Yellow’s mouth began to open in protest when she caught Blue’s eyes, looking at her from beneath the cover of her hair as she kept her head bowed to the queen.

The look was clear as the light of day.

_Don’t_

She bit her tongue so hard she thought she might taste blood. What was Blue doing?

“Go.” The queen was no longer looking at them, her attention wandering elsewhere. 

They didn’t linger a second longer then they had too. 

It wasn’t until they had retreated to the safety of Blue’s quarters did any of them finally speak. 

“She’s going to kill us all!” Yellow raged, pacing across the floor, boots thumping rhythmically to her anger. “How could you just nod and bow your head?” She turned on Blue angrily. The princess glared right back.

“I was not about to let you throw yourself under the sword again, Aurelia!” She hissed, stopping in front of the knight and forcing her stomping around the room to an end. 

“Protecting you both is my duty!” She raged. 

“I won’t lose you to this madness as well!” She shouted right back

“So it’s better that we all end up skewered on the frontlines?!” She threw out her arms, their faces only inches apart. 

Blue was about to continue yelling at the stubborn knight captain when a distinct sound stopped them both.

A sniffle, followed by a choked sob.

They both turned toward the youngest royal, her arms wrapped around herself and shaking as she tried to muffle her cries.

Forgetting their argument Blue wrapped her arms around the girl, who wasted no time, clinging to the older woman. 

“It’s going to be alright, Rosaline.” She murmured softly, gently running her fingers through the fair curls. 

“I don’t want to go back there…” She cried into Blue’s chest. 

“You won’t, Rosaline. We will think of something.” Yellow’s hand laid heavily on one of the girls shoulders with the promise.

They stayed there for some time, till Pink’s tears had finally dried and the flames of anger had cooled to ash in Blue and Yellow. 

When her face was dried she went to her own room. 

Blue and Yellow sat in the quiet, side by side on the bed.

“What are we going to do?” Blue finally broke the silence, looking at Yellow with tired eyes. 

“I don’t know…” The knight sighed, scrubbing hard at her face with gloved hands. Blue frowned and grabbed her hands, holding them tight in her own before the knight could rub her face raw in frustration. 

Tired amber eyes looked at her. For once, her brave love looked so defeated. The queen’s madness was breaking them. 

“If we go back to the front, word that your mother is there will spread like wildfire… they will do everything possible to make sure she doesn’t walk away… and we will be caught the blaze.” Yellow’s eyes squeezed shut. 

“We need to do something…” Blue squeezed the knight’s hands.

“We need to buy ourselves some time.” Yellow mumbled in agreement. 

They sat there in tense silence, precious time slipping through their fingers.

Blue jerked, making Yellow look at her.

“The carriage.” She shook Yellow’s hands. “She would never ride a horse there, if the carriage was unusable the trip would be delayed, at least a little while, we could buy ourselves some time.” 

“You’re right.” Yellow stood, pulling Blue up with her. “We can sabotage it, hell, destroy it if we must.” She agreed. “Quickly, the few guards left around the palace are stationed more vital areas, the stables should be empty and the stable-hands should be out eating their evening meal right now.” 

Blue nodded and they quickly left her room, checking first that the hall was devoid of servants before making their way down to the first floor.

The few guards on duty paid them little mind as they walked quickly through the main hall and out into the courtyard. Appearing as they always did, for all intents and purposes. The eldest princess simply being escorted somewhere by the knight captain. 

“How can we best disable it?” Blue mumbled under her breath to her companion as they crossed the courtyard. Yellow snorted.

“The time for subtlety has passed, Azurine. We only need to make sure we aren’t caught. We’ll just set the damn thing ablaze. She’s paranoid as is, it would hardly be difficult to blame the whole thing on rebel insurgents.” She grunted.

She had a point.

“Shall we just…” 

Whatever Blue was going to say was cut off by the ear splitting sound of glass shattering.

They both stopped in their tracks, whipping around to the origin of the sound behind them, just in time to see something falling from a now broken window on the palace’s third floor. 

It fell fast before hitting the ground in a sickening chorus of crunches. 

Yellow and Blue ran to the motionless object as several guards also came running. 

Blue gasped, hands flying to cover her mouth and Yellow couldn’t make a sound, jaw hanging ajar.

Lying motionless on the ground in front of them on the ground was Winea Diamond. 

The queen lay dead on the flagstones, surrounded by shards of brightly colored glass and a quickly forming pool of blood. Her gray eyes now open wide and truly unseeing. 

The courtyard was silent as a grave before a sudden cacophony of noise filled every available space around them 

Around them guards began to shout and yell but Blue and Yellow were deaf and blind to all of it.

All they could see was the dagger sticking out of the queen's chest, buried to the hilt.

A stiletto dagger with an intricately twisted metal hilt and a pink gemstone, splattered with blood embedded in the cross guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dun ~ Rohad


	10. Long live the Queen

The courtyard was in a state of chaos as guards and servants both yelled, screamed and ran about like headless chickens. 

It took several long moments for Yellow to jar herself from her stupor, Blue still seemed to be lost in a trance, but her training was forcing her into motion. 

The queen was dead.

Lying sprawled out on the stonework in front of them. 

Nothing was going to change that now, and Yellow could find not a shred of sorrow for the now dead monarch laying in a heap at her feet. How could anyone blame her though?

What concerned her was the dagger lodged into the queen’s chest and the woman at her side. 

“You and you!” She halted two of her men with the point of a finger. “Escort Princess Azurine to her room and keep watch over her door until I say otherwise!” She ordered. 

That did finally shake Blue from her trance, she whipped around to look at her. Yellow gave her a quick, apologetic look, but they both knew this was necessary. Blue pursed her lips tightly but gave an ever so slight tilt of her head. 

The guards saluted before quickly escorting the princess inside.

Setting to work, Yellow quickly organized the once panicked guards into order, sending them to secure the palace entrances and spread the word that no one left or entered the grounds without her express permission and shooed the servants away, back to their quarters until told otherwise. 

Once they had all gone she looked down at the queen’s lifeless body and frowned. Once, she may have felt sadness for this woman, who had once been kind and wise and fair. Had given her a chance when before there had been only misery and poverty. 

Now there was only relief.

Relief that the madness could finally end.

Her jaw clenched as she reached down and grasped the dagger’s hilt, sliding it free from the lifeless body and holding it up in her open palm.

There was no mistake. This was Rosaline’s dagger.

Yellow could not wrap her mind around it, couldn’t believe it. 

That Rosaline Diamond, whose favorite past time was weaving flower crowns and wept when others were hurt, would commit regicide, could kill her own mother. No matter how deranged and unhinged the woman had become. 

No, she couldn’t believe it till she heard the words come from the girl’s own mouth. 

Time was of the essence, or at least it needed to look like it. She wiped the blood from the blade and stored it safely in her one of her boots.

With one last glance at the body at her feet, Yellow took off running into the palace, passing Blue and her guards as she bound up the stairs, not stopping till she reached the third floor. The hall was empty save for her.

She walked quickly to the last door at the end of the hall. It wasn’t latched and opened easily as she pushed on it. 

Her eyes were immediately drawn to Rosaline, sitting on her knees, head held in her hands and sobbing loudly.

Amber eyes scanned the room, everything in place, save for the tall, broken, stained glass window that stretched from floor to ceiling.

“Rosaline…” Yellow called softly, slowly approaching the curled up princess.

Pink jerked, whipping around to look at the knight with wide, wet eyes. 

“Y-Yellow…” She croaked. “I…” She sobbed, cutting off anything else she might have said. 

“It’s alright, Rosaline.” Yellow soothed, kneeling down at the princess’s side, wrapping an arm gently around her shoulders. 

Pink buried her face into the knight’s shoulder and continued to wail. It didn’t seem like her cries were ever going to stop.

She needed Blue.

Readjusting her position she scooped the girl into her arms and picked her up. Pink only continued to cry. She carried her out of the queens room and down the hall. The two men stationed outside Blue’s door looked at her with wide eyes.

“Open the door.” She grunted. They quickly did as the knight captain bid. 

Blue, who had been pacing the floor quickly turned to them.

“Rosaline!” Blue ran to them as Yellow walked over to set the still weeping girl on the bed. Blue wasted no time sitting and gathering her in her arms as Yellow went back to the door.

“I will watch over them for now. Both of you go and keep watch at the main gate, bring me any news.” They both saluted and quickly vanished down the stairs. Once they had gone Yellow closed the door, latching it tight and turning to the sisters.

“I’m sorry, Azurine.” Pink was crying as Blue ran her fingers through her hair. “I didn’t mean to… it j-just happened.” She wailed, her voice muffled with her face buried in in the elder’s shoulder. 

“Shhh…” Blue tried to calmly quiet the cries. “It’s going to be alright, Rosaline.” She rocked them back and forth gently. Yellow watched them quietly.

The way Pink was carrying on, her place just a few feet from the broken window and…

She reached down and pulled the blood flecked dagger from her boot. Staring at it so hard one would think she was trying to get it to give her the answers to her questions. 

It took some time before Pink had finally cried herself out.

Yellow quietly sat on the girls other side, sandwiching her between herself and Blue. 

“Rosaline…” She started quietly, prompting tired and bloodshot eyes to turn to her. Cerulean eyes watched them both with concern. “What happened?” She finally asked.

She sniffed, and wiped at her eyes. Her voice dry and ragged.

“It was an accident…”She started with a hiccup.

_She glanced over her shoulder at Blue and Yellow sitting on the elder princess’s bed as she left Blue’s room, closing the door behind her._

_Her cheeks were still damp from all the tears she had shed. She wiped furiously at them as she walked down the hall to her own room. Blue said she should rest, but how could she rest knowing that first thing in the morning they would be heading back to the front?_

_Her breath hitched on another repressed cry._

_She looked down at her blotchy scarred hands. They were trembling._

_She balled them into fists. She couldn’t, they couldn’t go back there. She glanced down the hall at the one door she hadn’t entered in over a year. _

_The door to her mother’s room. _

_Swallowing thickly she forced herself to walk down the hall, farther and farther from the safety of her own room and toward the uncertainty of the door in front of her._

_Her scarred palms began to sweat the closer she got to the door._

_Maybe, just maybe she could talk to her? Try to explain what the front had been like, how awful it was, dangerous. _

_Her last few face to face interactions with her mother flashed through her head, stopping her cold, just outside the closed door. _

_She again caught sight of the bright scars that marred her skin from her fingertips to past her wrists, remembered the seering agony that had lit her world, not just in that moment but after when the physician had scrubbed the blackened, burnt skin from her body, leaving her bloody and raw. _

_She’d railed against Yellow, who’d held her tightly while she screamed and thrashed, trying to escape._

_She lifted her hand to knock but topped._

_Yellow… who had saved her life, her’s and Blue’s and had been mercilessly flogged for it. _

_She swallowed, her mother had never hurt her though. There was no reason to say she would now either. _

_She forced her scarred knuckles to knock. _

_It felt like an eternity before the door finally opening though in reality it was only a handful of seconds. _

_Winea Diamond looked down at her with unfocused eyes, like she had been asleep, though Pink knew it wasn’t the case. _

_“Mother” She greeted, curtsying and trying to portray a confidence she didn’t feel. _

_“What is it?” The queen was looking down at her but not really._

_“May I speak to you?” She managed. _

_The queen stared down at her in total silence for several long moments and it was everything Pink could do not to twist and fidget under the cloudy gaze. _

_Finally the queen simply moved out of the doorframe, walking back into the room without so much as a word. As if losing interest as she wandered over to the tall stained glass window on the other side of the room. _

_A veritable portrait of colored glass, depicting the bloody founding of the Drysor Empire, the backdrop of the scene made up of ruby colored glass, bright and vibrant as freshly spilt blood._

_Pink took this as a yes and moved inside, closing the door behind her._

_“What is it?” _

_She jumped when her mother spoke unprompted. _

_“I… wanted to talk to you about the trip tomorrow…” She started._

_The queen said nothing nor moved away from her place staring out the tinted glass. _

_“I realize it’s very important that we make a showing to inspire the soldiers…’ She started, trying to remember all her lessons over the years. This was Azurine’s expertise, not hers. She had the lessons, but as second in line for the throne she hadn’t really paid that much attention. She suddenly wished she had._

_“What if we took a different course of action?” She meekly suggested._

_“And what would you suggest?” The queen suddenly spoke, but did not turn to face her._

_Emboldened by the response Pink came closer, standing a scant few feet behind the queen._

_She suddenly remembered something Yellow had said about having the full force of the empire would have ended the rebellion months ago. _

_“What if we sent all the troops from the southern border to the front?” She smiled at the suggestion._

_“The troops in the south?” The queen repeated slowly as she finally turned to look at her youngest child. The look in her eyes made Pinks blood go cold._

_“You’re on of them, aren’t you?” The queen suddenly hissed, turning around completely, the light coming in from the window behind her cast the older, pale haired woman in a scarlet glow and casting her face in shadow._

_“W-what?” The princess started, taking half a step back at the deranged look in her mother’s eyes. _

_“You can’t deceive me.” Winea’s voice was low and sharp as she matched Pinks retreating step with one forward. “You want me to leave the southern border open so more rebels can slip into my land!” She reached out and grabbed both the girls shoulders in a tight grip, her bony fingers digging into her skin. _

_‘No! I just think…” Pink stammered._

_“Lies!” She squeezed tighter giving the girl a shake, eyes wide and crazed. _

_Pink’s fingers bumped against the handle of her dagger and on instinct or self preservation, she didn’t know which, they curled tightly around the handle and pulled it free, brandishing it at the queen who immediately dropped her. _

_She held the blade out, arm trembling as the queen looked at her in shock and fury._

_“I knew it, Traitor!” She shrieked. “I’ll have you drawn and quartered!” She lunged back at her and before she even realized she was in motion the youngest Diamond was swinging her arm, meeting little resistance as the blade buried itself to the hilt in the queen’s chest. _

_Winea Diamond opened her mouth but a choked gasp was all that came out as she staggered backwards, blood dripping between her fingers, curled tightly around the dagger’s ornate twisted metal hilt protruding from her chest. _

_She took an unsteady step back, followed by another, then there were no more steps to take. _

_Suddenly the piercing sound of shattering glass filled her ears as her mother fell through the glass, casting away the crimson glow on the room as bright sunlight filtered into the room through the broken window. _

_Pink stared at the place her mother had just been, wide eyed and mouth hanging open. _

_It had all happened so fast._

_She hadn’t meant to. _

_Her vision began to blur and she dropped to her knees, the cold stone pressing against them uncomfortably but she didn’t notice as the tears began to drip down her cheeks._

_She’d killed her._

_She choked on her next breath, a loud wail ripping from her throat unbidden. _

_She’d killed her own mother._

Neither Blue nor Yellow knew what to say in the face of the girl’s confession. 

The queen was dead.

And Pink had killed her, stabbed through the heart with a dagger. 

“I didn’t mean to…” She looked up at Blue pleadingly. “She was going to…” She choked on whatever she was going to say and Blue frowned pitifully down at the girl in her lap and gently hushed her, wiping at the stray tears on her face.

“I know you didn’t, Rosaline.” She said quietly. 

“Regardless, the queen is dead.” Yellow finally spoke. “Honestly, this is for the better.” She murmured under her breath.

Blue pursed her lips at the knights brusqueness but couldn’t argue after everything they had seen and in Yellow’s case, had done to her.

“She was spiraling out of control…” She grunted, looking down at the dagger in her hand.

“What do we do?” Pink asked, looking between the two.

“That, would depend on your sister.” Yellow turned to her. The older princess blinked.

“Me?” She echoed.

“You are the queen now.” She stated. Blue blinked, wide eyed back at the knight. With everything going on she hadn’t given it any thought. 

“I… suppose I am.” Blue finally breathed. She looked between the two of them and nodded, seemingly to herself. “What was said in this room, we never speak of again.” She declared, leaving no room for argument. “Assassin's snuck into the palace while so many of the guards were away and murdered the queen.”

Yellow gave a resolute nod.

“But Blue…” Pink drew their gazes. “I…” She started, only for Blue to press a finger to her lips.

“What’s done is done. It wasn’t your fault. I’m just glad you are alright.” She pressed a kiss to the girls forehead and held her close. Pink closed her eyes and sniffled but didn’t move from the embrace. 

Yellow watched them both. Glad that this danger had at least passed. 

Pounding on the door made them all turn. 

Yellow opened it to find two guards waiting for her. 

“News, captain.” He gave a quick salute. Yellow nodded for him to go on. “The squadron that was sent to town has returned, they report that for now, all is at peace in town. We only await your orders.” 

Yellow turned to Blue, who untangled herself from Pink and stood from the bed, back straight and head held high.

“Captain, organize the guard, have them search the palace from the dungeons to the bell towers. If my mother’s murderer lingers I would have them found.” She commanded. 

“At your command, Your Majesty.” Yellow and both men bowed. The two guards hurried away. Yellow lingered in the open doorway.

“Don’t be away long, love” Blue whispered.

Yellow nodded before disappearing out the door. Blue closed it behind her before turning back to Pink. 

“How can you just forgive me?” Pink looked at her sullenly from across the room. Blue frowned as she walked back over to the bed and knelt in front of the girl. 

“Rosaline, you were protecting yourself and us.” Blue cupped her tear flushed cheeks in her cool hands. “If we had returned to the front, we would all have been killed and if you hadn’t done what you did, she would have killed you. I could not have bared that.” Blue’s voice was low and strained. 

“She was our mother…” 

“She has been gone for a long time.” Blue’s sad statement was one of fact. 

“I loved her.” Pink choked. “Is that bad?” Tears began to gather in the corner of her eyes once more.

“No.” Blue gathered the girl up in her arms, resting her chin on her head. “No, it’s not bad…It’s not bad at all.” Slow tears ran down the now queen’s cheeks as she held her sister close.

“I loved her too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess im not done after 10. i have a few more ideas. - Rohad


	11. To Ashes

For two days, the guards tore the palace and all the surrounding area apart searching for the queen’s assassin. No stone was left unturned, no possible witness left unquestioned, but because so many of the guards had been away and the servants didn’t venture to the third floor without reason, no one had seen or heard anything.

After two full days of searching, the knight captain finally called it off, declaring they had escaped and further searching would only leave the remaining royals vulnerable, to which the men agreed. 

Word spread quickly that the queen had been assassinated by an unknown assailant and the people of the empire could only guess and wonder who had killed their lovely and wise queen?

A queen who had been conscripting men to fight in the still trudging on rebellion. 

A fact that had seemed to vanish from the memories of the people as the news of the murder spread across the land from the empire proper to the sprawlling territories it had brought under its heel. Towns and villages all across the empire kept their heads bowed as they carried on with their days 

The empire was in mourning, from peasants and servants to the remaining members of the royal family. To lose their monarch while still fighting the rebellion raging in the east was a hard blow to take.

The night the search had been called off, Yellow dismissed them for the rest of the night and made her way quickly to Blue’s quarters and slipped silently inside. 

The soon to be queen was sitting at her writing desk with her back to the knight. A single candle at her side illuminating whatever she was working on as her quill scratched at the paper under her fingers. She was dressed in her sleep wear, probably heading to bed soon.

Yellow waited quietly for the scratching to stop before she spoke.

“What are you working on?” She asked quietly. Blue jolted, turning to look at the knight over her shoulder. Her shoulders dropped, relaxing as cerulean eyes landed on the knight’s armored form.

“Just some final preparations for the coronation." She sighed, setting the quill back in the pot before turning to face her completely.

"How goes the goose chase?" She cocked a brow in amusement.

"It has been long enough that I finally called off the search." She pulled off her helmet with a relieved sigh. “Is everything ready for tomorrow?” She cast the other woman a meaningful look.

“Yes. We shall send her off at noon.” Blue sighed, thinking about the large pyre that had been built in the field just outside the palace over the last day. 

"And Rosaline?" She asked as she worked to take off her armor,putting it away before climbing onto the bed and plopping face first into the goose down mattress. 

Blue had taken full advantage of the situation announcing to the guards and servants that due to her mother's violent death and that the perpetrator had not been caught, the knight captain would be staying close. 

She had the knight moved into the room next to hers, one that had been empty for many years and unbeknownst to most had a secret passageway that connected the two, hidden behind matching paintings of the northern shore.

A turn of events that suited Yellow fine. 

"She's alright… still coming to terms with what's happened." She toyed with the blue diamond pendant hanging from her neck. 

A nervous habit that Yellow picked up on right away, even from her place laying almost completely face down in the pillows. 

"Did something happen today?" She pushed herself up on one elbow to better look at her.

Blues lips pressed into a thin line, gaze drifting off to the side. 

"Azurine…" Yellow prompted softly.

"We had a… disagreement this afternoon… voices may have been raised." She finally admitted, turning to look away from the knight 

"You fought." Yellow corrected bluntly, resting her face in her palm, elbow holding up her tired head.

"Yes…" the soon to be be queen huffed, still refusing to meet the knight's gaze.

"What were you arguing about?" 

"The rebellion. I informed her of my plans to pull the troops from the southern border and send them to the east and finally bring this to an end. She did not agree." Blue reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. “She wants all the bloodshed to stop immediately. She wouldn’t listen to reason.” 

“For once I may agree with her.” Yellow hummed, making Blue turn to her.

“You think we should just let Aarde go? After all that’s been sacrificed to keep it?” She asked in disbelief. 

“That’s not what I said.” Yellow held up a hand. “I understand that we can’t just pull back now, but everyone is tired of the constant death.” 

“I don’t relish the idea of yet more fighting, but what else can be done?” 

“You could grant them autonomy. They would be beholden to the empire and pay taxes but would in truth be sovereign.” Yellow suggested. Blue hummed, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

“That would be the most widely acceptable solution… How did you get so smart, love?” She asked with a grin.

“Believe it or not, before I would meet you there, I spent my time in the library reading.” She snarked making Blue laugh.

“My apologies. Perhaps I should make you the head scholar rather than knight captain?” She suggested blowing out the candle and casting them both in near complete darkness. A sliver of moonlight was slipping between the curtains, casting just enough light once her eyes had adjusted that Blue could make her way across the room. 

The bed shifted as Blue climbed in beside her, practically forcing Yellow onto her side to better snuggle against her, forcing the knights arms to encircle her. 

A faint chuckle and warm breath against her face let her know that the knight captain had no objections. 

Blue’s hands slipped up the back of the knight’s tunic, fingers running over the raised scars that covered her skin. She felt Yellow shiver as the cool hands skimmed over the warm skin of her back.

It pained her still, knowing how she had suffered, for them. She traced each of the fifteen long scars. She would never forget that day nor the pained look on Yellow’s face after every strike. It would be seared into her memory always. 

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you like this again…” Came her quiet promise in the dark.

She could feel more than see those amber eyes trained on her in the darkness of the bedroom. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” A calloused hand reached up to find her cheek even in the dark.

Blue took hold of it and turned her face to press full lips to every pad of those scarred and hardened fingers.

“Yes, it was.” She mumbled between lavishing affection on the knight. “I should have taken action before, when she began to become unstable. Before any of this happened. I could have saved you and Pink and our people so much suffering.” 

“Azurine…” The bed shifted and the sliver of moonlight was now splashed across Yellow’s face, letting Blue look into those shining amber eyes. “All you would have done was get yourself killed.” She hissed.

“I…” She started and Yellow’s grip around her tightened, pulling her flush against the knight. 

“No. We both know that’s what would have happened.” Her voice was a deep rumble in her throat, a mix of suppressed anger and something Blue couldn’t put a name too. 

The reflection of glittering moonlight in her narrowed eyes gave Blue pause. 

”I promise you, I would gladly take another lashing if it meant keeping you with me.” Her voice was low and guttural in Blue’s ear.

The soon to be queen’s breath hitched as a tide of emotion welled up in her chest, threatening to overflow. 

“Aurelia…” Was all she managed for several long moments. “I love you.” She finally breathed, burying her face into Yellow’s neck. Long fingers tugged her even closer if possible and lips pressed firmly against the top of her head.

“And I you.” She mumbled.

~ ~ ~ 

The morning leading up to the old queen’s final farewell was a bright and sunny one outside, but dark and dreary in the confines of the palace. 

Blue was already sitting at the long dining table when Pink finally came down. 

“Good morning, Rosaline.” She greeted with a small smile. The princess looked tired, not that Blue could blame her. It had been a hard two days, Especially for Pink. 

“Morning” She nodded sitting in her spot next to Blue. She didn’t seem eager to talk this morning, no doubt a multitude of things weighing on her mind today.

“I talked with Yellow last night, about our… disagreement from yesterday and she agreed with you.” That seemed to perk up the girl.

“She did?” She turned to look at her. 

“Partially, but yes. She agreed that more bloodshed was not the answer, so I decided that I won’t be sending more troops to the eastern border. I’m going to send an envoy to the rebellion’s leaders to work out a new solution that I think will benefit us all.” She explained as there food was set in front of them. 

“That’s great.” Pink smiled, but it wasn’t as enthused as it might have been were today any other day. Blue didn’t have to guess at what was bothering her but she had no idea how to ask. 

“I hope you are both well this morning?” They both looked up as Yellow entered the dining hall in full armor, helmet held beneath her arm.

“Good morning, captain.” Blue smiled at the knight as she stopped a few feet from the table and bowed. “Your Majesty, Your Highness.” 

“Captain…” Blue smiled brightly. Pink couldn’t help but roll her eyes, glad there weren’t really any servants about and wondered how they had managed to keep their secret for five years with the way Blue always lit up when the knight captain appeared. 

“Hi, Yellow.” She turned back to the knight captain. “Where have you been?” 

“Checking on all the guard posts, I want to make sure that everything goes smoothly today.” She turned to the girl.

“Right…” Pink nodded, turning her eyes to her lap. Yellow shared a look with Blue before kneeling down to be face to face with the princess.

“Pink” She said quietly, drawing those pale rose colored eyes to her. “I know that you must still feel… uncertain about what happened, but I am proud of you.” She said. Pink’s eyes popped open.

“Proud?” She repeated in disbelief. The knight nodded. “But I…” She began only for Yellow to shake her head.

“You protected yourself.” She insisted. “If you hadn’t acted you would be dead, with your sister and I not far behind.” She assured. Pink looked away from the intense amber stare to look at her scar covered hands in her lap. 

“I…know that everything is for the better now that she’s…” She stopped herself from saying it. “I still feel bad about it.” She mumbled, looking back up at the knight sadly.

“You will, for a time.” She gave a slow nod. “I will never forget the first time I had to kill. I hated it, as I hate it still, but it was necessary if I wanted to live.” She patted the girl’s knee. 

“In that vein…” She dug into her left boot and pulled out a sheathed stiletto dagger and held it out to Pink.

The sheath was black with gold fittings and had roses carved into both it’s high polished wooden sides. The hilt was twisted black iron with spiraling thorned, vines etched into the metal. The pommel and crossguard both were golden and polished to a mirror’s shine.

Pink blinked at the weapon owlishly for a long moment before looking up at Yellow, the question unspoken.

“I’m afraid I can’t return the other one to you, for obvious reasons, but I assumed you wouldn’t want it back regardless. So, I took the liberty of acquiring this for you, so you could protect yourself if you need.” She explained, still holding out the dagger. 

Pink reached up slowly, hand hovering over the hilt. 

Yellow said nothing, just held it out patiently. 

Finally the blotchy scarred hand grasped the hilt, taking it from the knight.

“I… don’t know, Yellow…” 

“I do.” She stood back up and looked down at the unsure princess. “You’re capable and what happened was awful, but you shouldn't let it cripple you. You are stronger than that, Rosaline.” The knight’s tone did not brook for argument. It usually didn’t. 

Pink’s grip tightened on the dagger as she held it close to her body and nodded.

“Thank you, Yellow.”

The knight nodded and happened to glance at Blue who was smiling adoringly back at her. Her face flushed as she looked elsewhere, trying to avoid the saccharine look being directed at her. 

Blue knew she must be awfully transparent at the moment but he couldn’t help it. The showing of affection between her sister and the gruff knight filled the would be queen with an intense feeling of joy and peace she hadn’t felt in some time.

Pink glanced between her smiling sister and the flushed knight and couldn’t help but chuckle.

~

At nearly noon the noble families and the representatives from the northern, western and southern territories began to arrive, gathering around the pyre that had been built in the middle of the field. 

The once queen’s body had already been laid upon it that morning, guards standing watch should anyone get any ideas they would be quickly dissuaded. 

The black veil over Blue’s head kept her face shrouded in shadow, hidden from everyone as she and Pink made their way by foot through the field, Yellow followed only a few steps behind with two other guards, each carried a torch. Most of the gathered nobility assuming it was to hide her tears, but the reality was it was to hide the fact that there were no tears.

She and Pink had cried, cried long and hard, mourning their mother. 

The mother they had lost long ago but not realized until the stranger with her face lay dead in the courtyard in a pool of blood and shattered crimson glass. 

Their mother was dead long before she had ever died.

Pink had been quiet the majority of the morning. Blue supposed that was to be expected all things considered. Her mood had been a little brighter after the talk she and Yellow had this morning in the dining hall though. 

She was still keeping an eye on her, she knew Yellow was as well. 

At noon exactly the head cleric moved to the front, a bright spot in the crowd in his high collared white and gold robes and tall cone shaped hat. He began to give a long mournful speech, expounding the many great deeds and virtus of the late queen, whipping many of the assembled into frenzied fits of tears and wailing. 

Blue remained rigid, hands clasped at her waist and eyes dry. She had no grief to give for the corpse laid out in front of her. All her pain had been laid bare already, now she was numb, the rawness already fading. 

The girl at her side was not of the same mind. 

Pink’s shoulders were shaking with her barely controlled sobs. It was moments such as these that reminded her that Pink was still just a girl. One that only until recently had lived a relatively sheltered life, unaware of how terrible things could be. 

How bloody.

She would be no different if it hadn’t been for Yellow, exposing her to the harsh realities of life that existed beyond the palace walls. 

Gently she took hold of Pink’s shoulders and pulled her back against her. Pink let herself be pulled into the cloaked embrace, letting herself sink into the comforting shadows, shielding her from the many eyes all around them. Blue’s arms wrapped securely around her had always protected her, her and the knight she knew was always close at hand. 

Yellow watched the two from beneath the visor of her helmet and sighed silently, wishing there was more she could do for the two of them at the moment, but she had to maintain her distance, and they understood that. 

Finally, the cleric, red faced, with tears running down his own cheeks finished his impassioned speech and turned to look at the knight captain. 

Yellow nodded and she and the two guards at her side stepped away from the two mourning royals toward the pyre. 

The torches were dipped into the bundles of straw, quickly catching in a burst of fire.

Flames licked across the large logs and bundles of straw sandwiched between them, blazing to life. 

The wood groaned and shifted as the fire ate at it.

Blue held Pink tighter against her as the flames caught the long white gown draped atop the wood, the silk material going up in the blink of an eye and soon the old queens form was obscured by the ever higher rising flames. 

After a while, many began to wander away, back towards the palace till only the two royals and the guards remained, watching the flames slowly eat away at the pyre. 

It was nearly dark, the sun only just dipping behind the horizon, lighting the sky brilliant shades of yellow, pink, red and orange when the flames finally began to fade, leaving only smoldering embers and ashes.

“Azurine…” Yellow’s quiet voice at her side finally breathed life back into Blue. She turned to look into those worried amber eyes and nodded to the unspoken question. 

With a gentle tug she pulled Pink along with her as they turned and began the walk back toward the palace, the setting sun at their backs.

The thirty year reign of Queen Winea Diamond was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure the next chapter is the last. But wth knows anymore


	12. Oaths

Three days after the old queen’s ashes had grown cold the empire was ramping itself up for the coronation of its new queen. Where once there had been clouds of mourning and grief hanging over the heads of the people, now the streets of nearly every town and village in the empire were filled with drunken revelry and celebration.

By the time the day was through the reign of the once beloved eldest princess would begin, bringing with it an entire new era for the Drysor Empire. 

The bright and tender rays of the barely risen sun stretched across the length of the walled off field the knights and guards used for weapons training. On this day it stood deserted save for the targets and dummy’s. 

And one lone figure. 

Rosaline found herself standing in a tucked away corner of the training grounds, dressed as she had been when she and Yellow had trained before. Pants tucked into her riding boots and a loose tunic under a thick leather jerkin.

She’d been standing here since just before dawn, sheathed dagger in hand as she stood in front of a straw stuffed training dummy. 

She looked down at the covered blade held in her grip. The gold and black went so well together and the carvings were immaculate in their every detail. She could feel it’s weight in her palm. 

It really was beautiful, masterfully crafted. She idly wondered what Yellow had paid for it. Things were always just given to her, so she had a hard time deciding how much ore something was worth. 

She looked back up at the dummy and pulled the blade from it’s housing. The gleaming silver catching the stray rays of sunlight that had begun to wash across the training field.

She moved into her stance, steady, grounded, ready.

Yet, she couldn’t move. 

Everytime she willed her muscles to action, to strike, something, they stalled. All she could see was... her. That look of pure shock and maybe pain as she staggered backwards, crashing through the glass. 

Shaking her head she resheathed the blade, hands falling back down to her sides, not for the first time that morning. 

She sighed quietly to herself.

“Almost” 

Pink nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice. She whipped around to find Yellow standing there, leaning her shoulder against the stone wall that bordered the training field with her arms folded across her chest.

“Yellow! How long have you been there?” She asked embarrassed at how long the knight might have been watching.

“A while.” Was the vague answer. They stood there in stony silence as seconds turned to minutes. The only sounds being the wind blowing across the field. Pink couldn’t stand it another minute.

“I know you’re disappointed…” She began only for the knight captain to cut her off.

“Don’t put words in my mouth.” The knight barked. “If I were disappointed I would say so.” She huffed, standing up and walking up to the princess.

“How can you not be!?” Pink finally burst, glaring up at her and making Yellow stop in her tracks. “I can’t do it! I… everytime I try all I see is…” She clenched her fists in frustration, eyes dropping to her booted feet in the dirt as water gathered beneath her lashes. She felt so stupid. This was stupid. 

Another pair of boots walked into her blurry sight making her look up at the knight. 

“I just… I want to forget…” She mumbled. 

The next moment she found herself pressed against the knight’s front. A single large, gloved hand pressed between her shoulder blades, holding her close, the other tangled in the curls of her hair. Once the surprise had ebbed away she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around the knight's waist.

The strong smell of leather, underscored by her sister’s floral scented oils that she had finally noticed always clung to the knights clothes and skin, were a heady and comforting mix to her as she buried her face into the captain’s chest, soaking up all the warmth that she offered. 

After a minute Yellow gently pushed her back a step so she could look into the knight’s bright amber eyes. 

“You won’t ever forget…” She finally said, her hands resting on Pink’s shoulders. The girl’s eyes dropped back to the ground. “...but it will get easier to remember.” She promised. 

Pink looked up at the knight for a long moment before nodding. If Yellow said it would get easier, she would believe her. 

“Okay…” She finally voiced softly. Yellow gave her a gentle pat before lowering her hands and taking a step back, returning to the proper distance the knight generally preferred. 

“You should probably head back in and begin getting ready, it is your sister’s coronation day after all.” She reminded.

“Right…” Pink sighed. “That’s going to be… strange.” She finally admitted. 

“How so?” The knight cocked a brow at the girl as she idly played with the sheathed blade in her grip. 

“I don’t know, I guess… I always knew that Blue was going to be queen someday I just… never really thought it was going to happen. I don’t know.” She shrugged, scratching the back of her neck. Unsure how best describe it to the warrior. 

“I thought it wouldn’t be for some time yet either…” The knight agreed, glancing away, hands curled into fists and immediately Pink could tell that something was bothering the captain. 

“Are you okay?” She asked, blinking up at her.

“Me?” Yellow startled, turning back to meet the concerned gaze. “I’m fine, Rosaline.” She assured with a small and unconvincing smile. 

Pink pursed her lips and hummed in obvious disbelief. Yellow narrowed her eyes in turn at the intense stare being leveled at her.

“What’s wrong?” She stood with her hands on her hips and chin raised, as if she could intimidate the older woman she had to look up at. Yellow stared back, looking thoroughly unimpressed by the princess’ attempts to make her talk.

“I am fine.” She stressed, clasping her hands behind her back, before turning on heel, her back to Pink as she walked away, making the royal squawk with indignation.

“Yellow!” She called chasing after the knight as she made her way back toward the palace. The knight captain took long quick steps, fully intending to ignore the angrily squealing princess chasing along behind her.

Pink’s protests quieted once they had reached the palace proper and were surrounded by guards and the many nobles who were arriving for the coronation, but Yellow could still feel her gaze on her back.

Pink glanced around at all the people, some she knew, most she didn’t. Nothing new to her there. 

Upon noticing her presence most of them stopped whatever they were doing to scrape and bow as she passed, following Yellow through the courtyard.

She smiled nervously under the many eyes and tried to wave politely as Blue had taught her.

They passed a group of young noblemen, if the way they were dressed was any indication, all gathered around laughing and talking.

If she hadn’t been so intent on figuring out what was bothering the knight she probably wouldn’t have noticed the dark look Yellow sent the group of men as they passed, though they didn’t notice. 

It wasn’t until they were already moving up the stairs to the third floor that it hit Pink like a horse and wagon. 

“You’re jealous of all the suitors!” She suddenly shouted in the quiet stairwell, voice echoing all the way from one floor to the other as it bounced off the stone. 

Yellow jerked to a halt, rounding on the girl a few steps behind her, Pink jerked, almost losing her balance at the sudden stop in motion and the angry eyes trained on her.

“I am not jealous of those pompous men and their inflated egos.” She fumed, glaring down at Pink. “And keep your voice down.” She hissed. 

“That’s what’s bothering you though isn’t it? All the men who want to marry Blue?” She watched in fascination as the knight captain’s face turned the most perplexing shade before turning around and stomping up the rest of the stairs without answering the question.

“Why does that upset you?” She asked quietly while trying to catch up. “I mean, I know why it might upset you, but Blue would never marry any of them, she loves y-” 

“Rosaline…” Yellow rumbled under her breath as they reached the landing of the third floor. A servant was hurrying down the hall toward them, a basket of dirty laundry in her hands. 

Yellow and Pink quickly moved out of her way as she hurried down the stairs. The moment she was gone Pink was back on it as she followed Yellow down the hall toward her room.

“Blue loves you, I’ve seen the way she looks when she talks about you. Or that ridiculous way she looks at you.” She made a face to herself, remembering the absolutely cloying way Blue would gaze at the knight captain when she didn’t think anyone was looking.

Yellow finally stopped, facing her door and let out a sigh.

“Rosaline… I know how she feels, just as she knows how I feel, that will never change, but things have to be different now, she’s the queen, there are certain... expectations. The people of the empire expect her to marry and have an heir of her own.” She never turned away from the door as she spoke. 

“She was the heir before…” Pink argued. “It’s not like either of you didn’t know she was going to be queen someday.” The girl frowned harder still at the knight’s back. 

“Yes, of course we knew that… it’s just…” She heaved another ragged sigh, her head dropping. “Your sister has responsibilities she can’t ignore any longer. The well being of the empire has to come first, and I know I don’t need to tell you that that means sometimes doing things we would prefer not to…” 

“But…” She started only for the knight’s weary voice to cut in.

“Please, Rosaline… I have many things to do before the ceremony starts.” She said without looking at her before disappearing in her room, the door closing before Pink could say anything else. 

Pink glared hotly at the wood for a long moment before looking at her sister’s closed bedroom door. Maybe Yellow wouldn't listen to her, but she would certainly listen to Blue.

“Blue!” Pink banged on the door with a fist. No answer came and after a few minutes of no answer she carefully pushed open the door only to find the soon to be queen’s bedroom empty.

“Damn it.” Pink cursed to herself. Blue could be anywhere getting things ready for the ceremony. She was probably also incredibly busy. Pink crossed her arms, pouting alone in the empty room, foot tapping against the stone. 

She was going to have to wait until after the coronation to have Blue talk some sense into the knight captain. 

In the meantime, she still had to get ready herself.

With a plan of action she quickly hurried to her own room to prepare. 

~ ~ ~ ~ 

Blue took a deep breath as she prepared herself for her coronation. She knew it would come someday, but this was much sooner than she had been prepared for. She had imagined herself a bit older truthfully. 

The last several hours had been spent fussed over by her ladies in waiting as well as the servants. Like a dress up doll, as they had agonized over what she should wear, how her face should be painted. 

Getting ready was a much longer affair than the ceremony itself. 

She was thankful that in comparison to the empire’s many other grand traditions this was a relatively short one. 

She only wished she had the time to see Pink and Yellow before things got underway. She looked herself over in the mirror once more, smoothing the long, tapered, sapphire dress that draped flatteringly on her form. The hem and collar of the dress accented in a deep golden yellow color that made her smile as she adjusted how it lay across her collar bones. Her hair was tied up in a neat and intricate bun atop her head, the cool air on her neck gave her goosebumps. 

“Your Majesty?” 

She looked at the servant standing in the doorway from the mirrors reflection.

“It’s time.” Was all she said. Blue nodded and the woman vanished as quickly as she had come.

Blue glanced at her reflection one last time before nodding to herself and with her head held high, left the room. Two guards who had been standing outside the door fell into step behind her as they made their way toward the throne room. 

She was disappointed that Yellow was not among her guard but she understood why the blonde might have chosen not to. They were seen in each other’s company quite often as of late. It would be better to put some distance between them, for appearance’s sake. 

They stopped outside the closed throne room doors, both guards looking to Blue who after a moment to collect herself nodded.

Somewhere deep inside, she wished her mother could have been here. The mother she had known before, not the one that had flogged and tortured and killed her own subjects. Not the one, who had made her own child plunge a dagger into her chest and then fallen from her bedroom window. 

No

The one who had played with her as a child, sat her in her lap on the throne as she held court or meetings. The one who taught her how to ride a horse, the one who would look at her or Rosaline and know who they were... 

She shook the thoughts from her head. Wishing would change nothing. The great doors opened.

The room full of people quieted as she walked down the long aisle toward the head cleric waiting for her. She kept her eyes straight ahead but the flash of a bright telltale pink dress in the corner of her eye told her exactly where her sister was.

She knew Yellow was near, she always was, though she hadn’t yet caught a glimpse of the knight captain’s sunlight colored armor. 

She stopped at the steps of the dais as the cleric began his grand speech. 

Blue wasn’t even half listening to it. She’d read it many times over the years in all her preparation for this day. She could recite it herself from memory. Though to the world around her it certainly looked as if she was paying rapt attention to every word that left the holy man’s mouth. 

Her eyes glanced carefully from one side to the next, she could see Pink better now, standing just in her peripheral. 

Finally she caught a bright spot of yellow and focussed on the knight she could now see, standing as rigid as stone, she honestly hadn’t expected anything else. She was so engrossed watching the two people she loved most that she very nearly missed her cue as the cleric gently placed the crown upon her silvery locks, bidding her to stand and turn as he addressed the crowd. 

“Her Imperial Majesty, Queen Azurine Diamond, long may she reign!” 

~ ~ ~ 

It was a few hours into the celebration before Pink ever managed to get to her sister, constantly surrounded by one groveling noble or another, all vying for the new queen's favor.

She thought she might try to talk to Yellow again, but one glance at the way the knight looked, standing straight as a rod with her arms clasped behind her back, a dark and stormy look on her face made the princess change her mind, she instead, in a quick turnaround, made her way back toward the last place she had spotted Blue.

She should have realized by now that if anyone was going to get through to the grumpy knight captain it was going to have to be her sister.

As she approached she quickly noticed the predominantly male crowd that had gathered around Blue, which certainly explained the furious, smoldering aura hovering over the knight captain. 

She managed to wedge her way through to the front of the crowd and dipped into a curtsy. Upon noticing her the men quickly jumped out of her way, bowing. In her head the girl couldn’t help but snort. 

"Your Majesty." She quickly fell into playing her part in front of all the people. Blue smiled brightly at her, honestly glad to see the girl and have an opportunity to rid herself of all the people gathered around her. 

“Rosaline!” She smiled.

“May I have a word, Your Majesty?” Pink glanced up at her from her curtsy. Blue nodded.

“If you’ll excuse me, I must speak to my sister.” She addressed the group before quickly walking away with Pink following dutifully behind, glad to provide her sister’s escape. 

“Your timing is impeccable.” She smiled down at Pink once they were far enough away from the main crowd. “How are you finding the party?” She tilted her head, Pink was always the best judge of whether a party was enjoyable or not.

“It’s fine, but I wanted to talk to you about something.” She said seriously and immediately Blue was alert. Pink was never serious without cause. 

“It’s about Yellow.” She said quietly, scooting closer to Blue, making sure that no part of their conversation was overheard. 

“Yellow?” Blue repeated, eyes darting up to look at the last place she had seen her taciturn lover. She was still standing dutifully at the main entrance to the ballroom, but it was clear upon closer inspection that she was not pleased. Yellow liked to keep her emotions under wraps but she wasn’t good at hiding when she was aggravated. 

Blue knew right away that she was very unhappy if the perpetual scowl was anything to go by. 

“What is it?” She turned her now worried gaze back to Pink, leaning down to better hear the quiet voice.

“She’s worried that now that you’re queen you’re going to marry one of these men and… you know…!” She flushed a little, moving her hands around aimlessly. “...make an heir!” She finally hissed out after a moment. 

“What?!” Blue jerked up, but quickly remembered where she was and glanced around to make sure no one had heard her outburst before leaning back down to whisper to her sister. "Why in the world would she think that?"

Pink just shrugged.

"I don't know. She said you have responsibilities and all that… You already have an heir." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"I do?" this was certainly the first time Blue had heard of it.

"Of course!" The princess insisted. "I'm your heir. When…” She paused for a moment but quickly carried on. “When mother was alive you were the heir apparent and I was the heir presumptive. Well you’re the queen now, so I’m the heir apparent now, right?” She had paid attention to some of her lessons, sometimes, much to her tutors chagrin. 

“I suppose that is true.” Blue conceded. Since she had no children of her own, her sister now fell into being next in line for the throne. 

"So talk some sense into her, she's being all moody." The princess huffed with a wave of her hand, chin turned up.

"Of course." Blue smiled. "As soon as the celebrations are through. I'm afraid we all have to play our parts for a little while longer yet." 

"Fine" she agreed reluctantly before making a show of curtseying to Blue and walking away. 

Blue watched her go with a quiet chuckle before turning her gaze back across the ballroom to where the knight captain was standing rooted by the grand doors. A veritable storm brewing on her face. She hummed to herself. 

Perhaps now had not been the best time to maintain her distance and humor all the noble men vying for her hand. She had hope that it would help throw off any suspicions, but perhaps it had worked to well if the agitation on Yellow’s face was anything to go by. 

Yes, that would need to be rectified post haste. 

~ ~ ~ 

Yellow sighed with relief as she finished peeling off and putting away her armor and flopping down onto her bed with a grunt. Not bothering to light any candles, the curtains were pulled open letting the bright light from the full moon shine into the room. 

She knew the day would be long, but it had started even longer than she anticipated when first thing in the morning she'd run smack dab into some of the nobles arriving for the coronation as she entered the main hall.

She only glanced at the overly dressed men as as she walked through the entrance hall. They were standing together, talking and laughing, under close watch of some of her men standing nearby.

She paid them no mind as she passed by, until one of their voices reached her ears.

"She has to have a prince-consort, why not me?" One of them had suddenly laughed to the others as the captain passed by. Her steps faltered but she forced herself to keep moving, now walking a little faster than before. 

Nothing had ever simultaneously made her stomach drop and her blood boil as that had. 

It had more truth to it than she had ever wanted to acknowledge. 

The thought had been nagging in the back of her mind for a while now. They both knew that someday Blue was going to be queen, she just had never imagined it would be so soon. It seemed like five years had vanished in an instant. 

She grit her teeth together as she stomped through the courtyard toward the training field, she needed to hit something.

Apparently her mood was obvious, as any servants or guards she passed by gave her a wide berth on the path leading out to the field. 

She made her way quickly to a more closed off and private area of the field where she liked to go when leaving the grounds was impossible. 

That was where she had come across Pink, standing there in front of the dummy, looking almost lost. She’d watched the youngest royal draw and sheath the dagger three times before alerting her to her presence.

She’d nearly forgotten about her earlier anger until Pink had picked up on the remnants of her fowl mood and followed her back up to her room. 

She should never have said anything to Pink. 

She grumbled to herself, laying in bed till the hinged floor length painting that connected her room to the adjacent one swung open and Blue popped out.

Yellow had jerked up in surprise the moment the painting had swung open.

“Good evening, my love.” Blue smiled as she closed the entrance to the hidden passage behind her.

“Azurine…” Yellow mumbled sitting up on the bed. Looking at her right now felt almost painful, she looked so beautiful in her coronation dress but her hair was again hanging down her back in a long silver sheet as the moonlight bounced off it, casting her in and ethereal glow. She wanted so badly to run her fingers through it. 

“Can we talk?” Blue asked, jarring Yellow from her thoughts. She nodded and Blue sat beside her on the bed. 

“I have it on good authority that you’ve been rather aggravated today.” She started and Yellow growled.

“Rosaline…” She breathed, looking anywhere but at Blue. 

“Don’t be cross with her. She worries about you.” The queen tried to soothe the aggravated warrior. “I worry about you too. What makes you think that just because I’ve taken the throne means I’m going to accept anyone’s proposals?” The genuine curiosity in her voice only made hot anger bubble up in the knight’s stomach. 

“You have to have an heir someday Blue, and you know damn well that can’t be done out of wedlock!” She snarled out the words. Once the momentary shock had subsided, Blue smiled softly at her angry and obviously distressed companion. 

"I already have an heir." She explained patiently. "Pink has graciously agreed to be my heir so I don’t have to marry anyone if I so please." That was news to to the knight. “I have no intention of every marrying Yellow... not if it can’t be to you.” She took hold of one of the knight’s bare hands, the scars and calloused skin was rough but pleasant against her much smoother ones.

"What exactly do you think the nobles will say when you announce your intent to remain unmarried?" The Knight captain questioned, still trying to hold onto her flagging anger, least Blue was proved wrong in some way.

"They can say whatever they like, they always have behind closed doors.” She flung out her hand flippantly. “So long as Pink is there to take the throne someday, they will have no objections." She assured the still frowning knight. Something yet lingered in her face. “Now, tell me what’s really bothering you, Aurelia.” She reached out to cup one of the knights smooth, sharp cheeks. Yellow let her, leaning into the touch, eyes squeezed tightly shut. 

“You’re the queen, Azurine… you deserve someone better.” She finally mumbled. Sky colored eyes widened at the confession.

“What? There is no one better…” She started only for Yellow to scoff, turning her face away so she wouldn’t have to face the queen.

“Everyone who attended your coronation today was wealthier, of better standing and higher breeding than I.” Yellow managed to spit out the words, refusing to look at Blue. “Don’t tell me that no one is better!” She rumbled. 

Soft hands reached out to take gentle hold of her face, making her turn back to meet those loving and slightly exasperated cerulean eyes. 

“If you would let me finish…” She started with an almost amused huff. “I would tell you that all that may be true, perhaps you don’t have any wealth and your family name is an unknown one...” She went on Yellow’s eyes sliding to the ground.

“But there is no one better.” She reaffirmed. “...Better suited to me, than you.” She smiled at the wide eyed look on Yellow’s face.

“Blue…” Yellow started only to stop. 

Blue ran her thumbs over the the knight’s cheeks, wiping away the drops of water Yellow would deny were there before they could fall.

Without waiting for her to say anything more she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the knights lips, ensuring she could say nothing else. 

She slid her hand into the cropped blonde locks, relishing in the feel beneath her fingertips. She smiled at the gutteral sound coming from the knight when she tugged on the strands, her body went lax in her grip.

“You’re not going to continue questioning your queen, are you captain?” She mumbled against her mouth before pulling back just enough that amber and cerulean could meet, their foreheads still pressed together. 

“Never, Your majesty. I did take a vow.” She smirked. 

“I seem to recall that the oath you took was to my predecessor, not me.” Blue teased. Yellow snorted, a grin lighting up the previously dour face. 

“Technically speaking, that oath was to the empire...” She stood from the bed and Blue blinked at her curiously as she pulled away.

“This one is to you...” She said dropping to one knee in front of the queen, right hand crossed over her chest and the other held out to Blue, who flushed at the intense look being leveled at her as she slid her right hand into the knights upturned left palm. Her warm fingers tightened around Blue’s. 

“Azurine Diamond, I swear on my life that I will stay by your side, steadfast and loyal in my devotion, no matter the trials ahead of us, for all the rest of my days.” She vowed, amber eyes shined like embers in the moonlight. 

“Aurelia…” Blue choked before tugging Yellow back up by the hand wrapped around hers. “I intend to hold you to that…” She said in a hushed voice, pulling the knight into another, much longer kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it folks! Thanks for coming to my TED talk! ~Rohad


End file.
